Robyn Hood
by Silver as the Rain
Summary: Robyn Grayson, or Robyn Hood as she's known on the streets, is not a stranger to hardship. She draws the line at human experimentation though. However when Cobra gets a hold of her, she doesn't have a choice. They torture her, manipulating her into something she was not meant to be but somehow, through losing her memories, her identity, she finds a reason to fight back, to survive.
1. Chapter 1

**Because I think that G.I Joe is awesome, I've written another story for it! I own nothing except for the characters of my own creation. This doesn't follow the movies but takes place after Retaliation.**

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The streets were bare and empty save for the lamplight overhead and the occasional passing car. I noticed how the roads seemed to glow with a metallic rustiness under the light and how little people seemed to see as they huddled in their shelters. I couldn't take my eyes from lights, whether they were streetlights or lights beaming through the windows. I just loved light. Probably because light was often associated with warmth.

With a trembling sigh which left vapour trails before me I turned and returned to my little corner where I huddled into my blanket then pulled my scarf tighter around my neck. Thankfully winter was quickly fading into spring, which would mean warmer nights for us homeless people.

Now I know what you might be thinking. Homeless people, drug addicts, alcoholics and beggars. Let's just get one thing straight and clear, I'm none of those things. I just had a little bad luck in life which left me without a home and no job. I was looking for one, even if it meant working ridiculous hours for wages hardly worth the effort I would do it.

A fire had taken my home and my mother's life one night and there was no one else to look after me. I was ignored by the government, pushed aside by any kind of agency to help me because I wasn't worth their time. Sure I had it bad but I knew plenty people who had it worse, so I'm not going to complain. The only thing I would curse the sky for was the fire killing my mom. She was everything to me. My rock and pillar. Now she was gone, I had no one.

There were a few people keeping me company, our little band. There was Young Jimmy over by the dumpster holding his hands over the fire he had managed to make. He used to be in the military, fought for our country and lost a leg for it. Now he was reduced to a squatter begging for money to get his next meal. Next to him was Old Jimmy, who happened to be a war hero too because he fought in the Second World War. He had carried his comrade out of battle under heavy fire and to the medics who had saved his life. Both of them deserved much more. Old Jimmy kept his medal for Valour, it was pinned to the lapel of his jacket and refused to ever sell it. I had high respect for both of them.

Thirdly there was a woman around my age called Sabrina. Now her story always makes me cry. She once had a husband but he had turned to drink and abused her. She had run away but didn't have any family to protect her so after a few mistakes, she ended up here, selling her body for cash. Her life was filled with regret. Sabrina told me every day she wished she had had the courage to go to the police, then she wouldn't here now.

Fourth and fifth were two brothers, both addicted to cocaine and spent whatever money they could get on the stuff. They did have family they could go to for help but they chose to stay out here where they didn't have to work. I wasn't so sympathetic with them. I tried all the time to encourage them to sort out their lives but they never listened.

Finally there was an elderly lady who had lost all of her family in the war. Petunia used to have a daughter but she had given her up for adoption as she was an unmarried woman at the time. You could see the pain in her eyes as she thought about that sweet child every moment of her life.

So you see, I'm not one to complain about hardships. If the others could float in the same boat as I then I would too. We were a little family, the only thing we had was each other so we stuck together as one although, sometimes it came down to every man for himself. Glancing up at the sky I could see the moon just peeking out from behind a building, gradually rising higher in the sky.

"You know. I think it's getting warmer." Old Jimmy murmured, his gaunt features hollowed further by the light of the fire.

"You have a fire at your feet. Of course it's warmer." One of the drug addicts snapped, scratching his arm continuously.

"Don't snap, Max, it's too late to start an argument." I sighed softly, shifting a little closer to the fire. "What has everyone eaten today?"

"Nothing." The brothers both chorused.

"I found half a burrito." Sabrina sighed, shifting a little closer to me for more warmth.

"What I wouldn't give for a cup of tea and a good slice of Victoria sponge." Petunia murmured dreamily, smacking her lips as she closed her wrinkled eyes and imagined the delicacy. "With fresh cream and homemade strawberry jam."

"I would go for a juicy steak and kidney pie, with crusty pastry and moist meat on the inside." Young Jimmy replied with a smile. "I remember my mom used to make the best pies in the entire county, every time there was a fair, people crowded around for her pies. Blueberry, beef, chicken, the entire works."

"Who wants cake when you can have a massive bacon butty?" Old Jimmy chuckled as he took off his beanie hat, shook out some leaves then smoothed back his long, wispy hair before sliding the faded red hat back on. "With warm, buttered bread and ketchup."

"Chocolate cake!" Sabrina giggled, licking her lips dreamily with closed eyes.

"Stop it guys, you're making me even hungrier." I smiled at them, thinking to myself. "Hmm…if I could have anything in the world, I'd go for the biggest steak there was, with a large portion of chips and fresh garden peas. That's' my kind of meal."

"Good on you, Robyn. I've always said it's not healthy for girls to live off salad." Old Jimmy nodded to me with approval. "If only we had the means to get it for you."

"Ah, Old Jim, you know I'd much rather buy you that turkey roast dinner you always dream about." I said to him simply, reaching behind me into my bag. "I can't deliver on that for now but I do have this." I drew my hand back and revealed the chocolate biscuits I had managed to steal from someone passing by.

Petunia gasped and stared at them longingly so I passed them to her, Sabrina following the food whilst licking her lips. Going back into my bag I pulled out all I had managed to get that day. Some tinned peaches, a packet of pasta, some dried apricots and beef jerky.

"Oh sweetie! How do you do it?" Petunia asked as she bit into the biscuit, her face drifting into a world of relief at the source of tastiness. It made me chuckle. We all shared out the biscuits evenly until the packet was empty. I stabbed my small pocket knife into the tinned peaches, opening the tin then used the cleanest part of my shirt to clean off a fork before handing it to Old Jimmy, who took one bite then passed it on.

"I've never seen someone as light fingered as you are. I swear you could steal the Eiffel Tower and no one would notice." Young Jimmy said to me through his mouthful of peach and biscuit.

"It's just practice. People can do without these things. I only steal from people who look rich." I gave a little shrug. "So in a way, an eye for an eye. It's fair." Everyone grinned at me.

"Aye, aye Robyn Hood." I laughed, shaking my head. It was the nickname everyone on the streets gave me. I stole from the rich to feed the poor. The legend still exists. No one ever complained about my methods, so long as I gave out the food I had stolen, they didn't rat on me to the cops. The brothers, Max and Mike, squabbled over the peaches as Max tried to take two bites but Young Jim sorted them both out pretty quickly.

"How are we going to cook the pasta?" Sabrina asked quietly as she held it in her hands, keeping a tight grip on it.

"We have a saucepan, I'll go fill it with some water then we'll try cooking it on the fire." I said, standing up. I looked to Old Jim who sat further forwards, reaching into his army backpack then held out the small pot for me. I took it and the pasta before carefully stepping around everyone, looking out into the street before slipping away.

There was an outside tap just around the corner on a block of flats, which I intended to use to fill the pan up with. I knew it was unlikely the small fire would cook the pasta but half-baked was better than nothing. Only then did I get an idea.

What if I snuck in somewhere and used a stove to cook it? I'd be in and out in around ten minutes. Glancing to the apartments I looked around before sneaking around the back. I knew there was a restaurant around here, the block was filled with pubs, places to eat and greasy spoons so I selected on that was still open. The pub was alive and full of life however I read on the door that the kitchen was closed. Smirking ever so slightly I slipped inside, keeping my head down as I avoided eye contact with anyone.

I was very good at avoiding people or not being seen, it had come with the years of practice running away from cops. Everyone was so intent on their drinks or their conversations that no one saw me slip through the side door and into the kitchen. It was dark and I didn't want to alert anyone by turning on the lights so I waited a moment for my eyes to adjust, the light from streets just filtering through the window, allowing me to feel my way around.

Glancing around I reached into my backpack, unzipping it and groping around until I had found my flashlight. The batteries were nearly dead so I slapped it a few times before getting a dim beam to help find the gas dials. I switched one on then filled my pan with water, letting it simmer and boil on the hob. Looking around my fingers began to tingle the way they did when I was near something of value. I knew there was food in here. So much food.

The bar owner was a moron for not locking up the kitchen. Glancing around I sucked in a breath then dived forwards. I gently opened the drawers, rummaging around for items that might be useful. I selected a few forks, spoons and knives before hunting through other drawers. I found new batteries which I hastily stuffed into my bag before turning to the cupboards and fridge. There were teabags so I boiled the kettle, pulled out my flask and made some tea for Petunia to help warm her old bones.

Continuing I found some fresh fruit as well as bread, jam, honey, cheese, cold cooked meats and various other items, including some wrapped cake waiting for tomorrow's orders. I cut some off then wrapped it up as the pasta began to boil through, fully cooked. My bag now full to the brim I sent a silent apology to the nice man who owned this place before seeing to the pasta.

I turned off the hob, poured away the water then clutched the pan by the handle as I made my way to the door. I pushed on it. It didn't budge. My heart dropped to the floor as I tried to push a little harder but it was firmly shut. "No! Please don't say you locked it!" I whimpered then tried again however it was most definitely locked. Cursing I turned and tried to find another way out.

Only the window seemed a possible exit. Racing over I fiddled with the latch, flipping it up before pushing it open as far as it would go. I slid the pan through first, having to twist it on its side so I lost a bit of the pasta but I didn't care at this point, I needed to get out of there before I was caught. Once the pan and my bag was safely through I lifted myself up and began to squeeze through the gap barely big enough to fit my head out of.

I twisted and grunted, puffing from the effort of trying to wriggle through before finally, I fell forwards. A little yelp left me which I instantly cut off by clapping my hand to my mouth. I looked around, grabbed my bag and the pan before racing out of sight.

Once I was safely around the corner I stopped to catch my breath. I grinned to myself, shaking my head before looking at my full bag of food. At least we had something to keep us going a little longer. Looking up I shrank back into the shadows, pressing my back to the wall as I saw a mysterious truck pull up.

It was black with no markings or identification, signalling instantly to me that something was wrong and it was best to just keep out of sight. Several men jumped out from the back and from the front, all looking rather mean and serious, dressed in black overalls.

They all spilled out into the streets without ever making a sound, shining flashlights down alleys where other homeless people lurked. One was coming my way so I pressed my hands into the wall then quickly pulled myself up, leaving the pan of pasta on the ground as I kept my backpack securely strapped over my shoulders.

Climbing up like a spider I tensed my arms and legs, pushing into the narrow alley to keep myself above the average height, leveraged over the stranger who now shone the flashlight into my hiding place. He slowly ran the light over the ground, just barely missing my pan of pasta as he searched. When he found it was empty, he turned and walked away.

Letting out a small breath of relief I began to slowly slide down, trying to make as little noise as possible before jumping down, bending down low to absorb the sound. I watched as many of the street dwellers were brought out from where they squatted and climbed into the back of the truck. They went freely and I could hear some of them whispering but couldn't make out what they were saying.

I kept in my place in the shadows as the last of the homeless people were loaded before the truck started up. It rolled away with an initial jerk, sliding through the streets before the ghastly roar was no longer within earshot.

Glancing both ways before stepping out into the open I hurried back to where the others were waiting. "There you are! We were beginning to worry." Old Jimmy said as I hurried in, tiptoeing over everyone's belongings before sitting down in my spot. "You missed the excitement. Some boys came knocking on our door. Asked us to go with them." I looked around, noticing that Max and Mike were gone.

"I assume they went with them?" I questioned, pulling out the shiny new forks and handing out one for everyone.

"Robyn, where did you get these?" Sabrina asked in shock, looking at her new fork with a slight expression of surprise.

"Well, I figured we'd take forever cooking past on that little fire so I snuck into a pub kitchen and cooked them. Then I figured that since I was there, I might as well make a meal out of it." I said then flipped open the flap to my bag and everyone instantly leaned forwards, staring inside. "I only took a little, they'd hardly notice." I assured them then picked up the cheese. "Who wants cheese with their pasta?" Instantly everyone began to call out, wriggling in their places with anticipation.

Old Jimmy flipped open his handy knife set, pulling a slim grater which I used to grate the cheese onto the pasta, which was beginning to go cold. "Sorry it's not hot but I have something to warm your throats. Petunia, I made you some tea." Petunia began to get emotional, knowing that tea only came to her on very rare occasions but if I can perfect my kitchen sneaking skills, I might be able to make it more often. We all had pasta, some tea and had a little piece of the cake I had cut off for us. A lemon sponge with lemon icing on top. Absolutely divine.

After that we all shared the segments of one orange before we felt satisfied. I put the rest of the food away, storing it for tomorrow where we'd be just as hungry all over again. "What did those men want?" I asked the others curiously as we began to make our beds ready to settle down.

"They said if we went with them, they'd give us warm beds and plenty of food." Young Jimmy said as he shifted awkwardly until he was wrapped up in his sleeping bag. I blinked in surprise.

"Whatever for?"

"Said they needed test subjects. Moment they said that I sat back down again. I never trust any of those medical maniacs. Poking and prodding you with needles, it's not right. Probably going to turn them into human guinea pigs and treat them like filth because they think we don't have no rights." Old Jimmy muttered under his breath as he tucked his arm under his head.

"What sort of testing?" I pressed, curious to know what they were doing here.

"No idea but when people come recruiting us street urchins, you know whatever it is they're doing isn't legal." The old man answered then yawned, turning to huddle closer into his blanket. I sat up a little longer, pondering on what I had seen. They had just come and gone in the space of a few minutes, taking Max and Mike with them. I hoped they would be alright.

Pushing it aside I lowered my head onto the newspaper I used to keep my head clean from the floor. For a long time I just lay there with my eyes open, staring into the pretty little flames before slowly my eyes slid shut and I was asleep.

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**Thanks for reading, I'll post another chapter up once there are a few reviews. So, you know what to do!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This one is a little bit of a filler but I hope you like it all the same. I own nothing of the G.I Joe universe, except for characters of my own creation.**

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It was kind of embarrassing just sitting on the floor with a little cup begging for a money but sometimes, desperate times calls for desperate measures and Sabrina didn't seem to mind it, so I sat with her, stroking a stray dog that sometimes came around. I felt sorry for the poor little thing. It was shaggy and starved to the point where you could count its ribs so I reached into my bag and picked out the ham, tearing up little pieces to feed the dog bit by bit to keep it from choking on the food.

It lapped the ham hungrily from my palm, its warm tongue slathering my skin until it was all gone. It then looked hopefully up for more. "Alright, you can have my share but no more. I have a hungry family I have to feed." I warned the dog who gave a little bark of agreement, wagging its tail happily.

I gave it my share of the ham before smiling, ruffling its ears before it jumped into my arms, licked my face then trotted away again. "Digger seems to like you." Sabrina smiled at me, lifting her cup up to a woman who walked straight past us, not even sparing a glance.

"Because I feed him." I answered with a shrug. "Sometimes I just don't get humanity. Sure, we humans make mistakes but how is it fair that animals get the same treatment? Abandoned and left to die…no animal deserves that."

"We live in a cruel world, Robyn. Not everyone is as kind as you are." I snorted under my breath.

"I'm not kind. A kind person would have given everything she had for others."

"You have to have your share too." Sabrina answered sternly, tossing me a little warning look before she smiled again. "You're not a soldier."

"I suppose." Sighing in defeat I leaned back into the wall, looking up at the clear blue sky, wondering what else there was to do. We had enough food for today so there was no point in stealing. Besides I couldn't do it every day or it would become too obvious and I would get caught, which would help no one.

"Look over there, in the window, can you see those necklaces?" Sabrina gasped, suddenly jumping up. "Come on! Let's play a game." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me up, gripping her cup tightly in her hand as we both raced over to the sparkling display of jewels.

"What kind of game?" I asked her with a smile, enjoying her enthusiasm.

"We'll walk down the street and chose one thing from every window that we would buy if we had all the money in the world." Sabrina said, running a hand through her dark hair. Hers was so contrasting with my light brown locks, it made hers look shinier and darker with me standing next to her. As she peered into the shop with her dark chocolate coloured eyes she bit her lips, focussing on every item as I did the same. "That one." She pointed finally, beaming as she looked around to me. Sabrina was pointing to a ruby ring on a gold band, raised on a crest of diamonds. It was very beautiful, with a price to match.

"I see how it is, a pricey girl aren't you?" I teased and she blushed a little before prodding me.

"Go on, what would you choose?" I looked over the contents of the shop window, pursing my lips slightly before my eye was snagged by something tucked away in the corner.

"I'd choose that." I pointed and Sabrina peered, cupping her hands over her eyes to see better into the glass.

"That?" She questioned in surprise. The necklace was white gold with a pair of angel wings as the centre pendant. "Why? Wouldn't you rather have something like that?" She pointed to a diamond collar but I shook my head.

"No. I would rather have the wings. It's simple yet elegant and…my mom used to call me her little angel. Now she's up in heaven, it's the perfect item to remind me of her." I explained, brushing away a slim tear that began to slide down my cheeks. "Never mind though. Next window!" I declared and pushed Sabrina along who jumped forwards to the next shop, which was a patisserie. We stared at all the wonderful sweet treats and pastries before looking at each other. At the same time we both grinned and called out.

"All of them!" We got some strange looks but we didn't care. We were both laughing until our insides hurt. Sabrina gripped my hand and together we did the same for every shop. We changed streets to do a little more scrounging for cash. One very nice lady actually gave us ten dollars which we both stared at in awe before hastily hiding it away before any other homeless people saw the treasure we had and tried to take it. If the drug addicts found out, they'd be on us like a pack of wolves.

Together we walked back to our hangout where Old and Young Jimmy were waiting with Petunia. "You're a little later today, was everything alright?" Old Jim asked as we sat down, still breathlessly smiling.

"Sure, we got a little surprise for you all." Sabrina said then looked up, checking they weren't being watched before taking the ten dollars from her sock.

"I'll be blown…" Old Jim blinked in surprise then chuckled.

"We can get something for us now, what does everyone need?" Sabrina asked, looking around to the others who glanced to each other.

"Nothing really. Unless you can buy us all a house with that." Old Jim said then chuckled, reaching across and clasped Sabrina's hands, patting them softly. "You two youngsters pay for whatever it is you need. New clothes for interviews, a hot dog, anything. Don't you worry about us older people here."

"Of course we're going to worry about you." I replied simply, reaching forwards to grasp Jim's shoulder. "We're a family. We stick together through the thick and thin. Now, Petunia, perhaps we can get you something to help keep you warm, how about some new gloves? Jimmy I'll make sure to barter for some painkillers to help with your leg, Old Jim we'll get you some more matches. Sabrina?"

"I think that just about covers it." She nodded her head then sighed softly. "Honestly you three. You have to let us help you."

"Two beautiful young girls like you? No, you two should be out on the catwalk. Not sitting here." Young Jimmy said gently to us, rubbing his wounded leg to try and ease it from the pain of the cold. I shifted over to him with one of my blankets, gently lifting up his leg to wrap it around.

"Here, try that." I smiled, touching his shoulder then returned back to my place of the circle. We all huddled close together for a while before I heard footsteps approaching, several of them. I lifted my head then instantly heard the voices, distinctly loud against the early evening hum of traffic. "Quick! Hide everything!" I hissed, grabbing my bag of precious food and tossing it into the empty dumpster at the end of the alley along with everything else valuable. Old Jim grabbed his tin of belongings and shoved them behind him, arranging his blankets so that they were well hidden.

After the initial scramble to get everything hidden we returned to our circle, nervously glancing around one another as the voices of young men came closer. I saw them saunter past our alley and with every breath I prayed that they would just keep walking and leave us alone.

It seems luck, as usual, was not on my side. They all stopped and peered into our alley, their sickening smirks making my stomach lurch. "What's this here then? Some old granny and grandpa with a one legged man? Sick." The leader of the group snorted, his spiked fringe not suiting his closely shaved head.

"Please leave us be, young man. We want no trouble." Old Jimmy said gently, keeping his eyes down.

"What's that pops? Can't hear you!" He shouted then kicked at Petunia's bedding, scattering it everywhere. Still we did nothing. "They're dumb as well as deaf."

"Yeah mate. Skanky homeless people." My blood boiled but I clenched my fist and didn't move, glancing to Sabrina who was hiding under her large hood.

"What is it you want?" Jimmy asked, gripping his leg tightly to keep from trying to get up and throwing a punch at these jerks.

"Got any money? Nah suppose not, druggies the lot of you."

"And you aren't?" I said without meaning to, it just flew from my mouth. The ringleader glared at me then took a step forwards.

"You wanna go do you? Come on then, let's have at it." I stood, pushing back my hood and narrowed my deep bronze eyes at the jerk who was insulting us. He blinked stupidly at me then burst out into ridiculous laughter, his joining in until they were all honking like a flock of geese.

"Come on darling, how about you come back with us for a little fun time?" I arched an eyebrow at him then snorted.

"Try me again when you're old enough to grow a beard." I retorted smartly, placing my hands on my hips. "But now please leave. You are not wanted here."

"What makes you think you can tell us what to do?"

"Yeah! We own this block! You're on our property!" Sighing I rolled my eyes.

"You are aware that under section thirty three of the squatter's rights act of nineteen seventy two paragraph seven, line thirteen states that areas where citizens of the United States who have no alternate accommodation, who have resided for more than week in one place can rightfully claim it as their personal area of residence and therefore have the right to evict others from their presence or have the right to contact the police and order their arrest." I stated calmly, keeping a level eye on them all as they just frowned at me.

"Say what?"

"So, in short, if you don't want to be fined a sum of cash I'm pretty sure you don't have, I'd get out of here if I were you." The boys all looked to one another before slowly backing away.

"You're freaks. The lot of you." He shot one last snarl at us before heading off into the night. Exhaling I let my body go lax before collapsing back down.

"That was brilliant Robyn! How did you know that stuff about the law?"

"The law? Ha! I made it up." I grinned at her. "They were stupid enough to believe me. Figures, and they call us idiots."


	3. Chapter 3

I was jerked awake by Sabrina crying out in alarm. Instantly I was up and awake, swinging a fist at the guy who was trying to drag Sabrina by the hair out of the alley. "Leave her alone!" I yelled, making him look up just as my fist connected with his face.

The head jerked backwards and he let go of Sabrina, who collapsed onto the floor. "Let them go! What do you think you're doing?" I was bellowing with rage, trying to punch and kick at the men in black masks who were grabbing Petunia, Jimmy and Jim to try and drag to the truck which I could hear was just outside.

Still in a slight confusion as I tried to wrestle Petunia out of the grasp of one of the men, I missed the two who came up behind me and dragged me away, kicking and lashing out as much as I could. "What are you doing? Let us go!" I bellowed as Sabrina sobbed, hiding her face away as we were all forced towards the truck.

As I stared around me I could see others being dragged out by force, some of them fighting, others just giving in and allowing themselves to be taken. I was not going to make me into a twisted experiment! "Sabrina, hold on!" I called then snarled as I stamped a foot onto my captor then twisted, slamming my elbow up into his nose so that he cried out in pain and let go of me.

Whipping around I leaped onto Sabrina's captor, slamming him into the side of the truck then grabbed his head, forcing it against the side to knock him out then grabbed her hand. "Come on!" I gasped, turning and together, we began to run. See what I mean, every man for himself? There was no way I could get the others out of there. Not with these men crawling about the place like cockroaches.

Sabrina sobbed, blindly running with me as I tried to get us away from whatever fate lay in the truck. We had hardly got ten paces ahead when something sharp hit my shoulder and I cried out at the same time Sabrina did, both of us collapsing as a giant shock ran up our bodies.

We lay yelping and twitching on the floor, out bodies failing to respond to any command we tried to give. We just lay there, limp as bonefish for two men to pick us up and toss us over their shoulders. My eyes slid over to Sabrina who had her eyes closed, head dropped down as we were carried to one of the several trucks they had before we were tossed inside and locked up.

I felt the truck jerk violently as we began to move, the whimpering of terrified people surrounding me as I tried to move. Whatever it had been, the shock had been powerful. It looked like Sabrina was completely knocked out whereas I just remained unresponsive. I felt each lurch and turn of the truck, rolling on the floor until finally, my mind drifted into uneasy sleep.

Even when I was asleep I could hear them crying. I only woke up when we stopped, making me groan silently. I twitched a finger, concentrating as I revitalised every part of my body until I was fully responsive. Quickly I crawled over to Sabrina who was already sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest. "Hey, I'm here. We're going to be okay." I assured her, placing my arms around her so that she could hold onto me.

"Are they going to dissect us?" She whispered fearfully, tears streaking down her face.

"No. No they wouldn't do that." I promised her. "I won't let them hurt you." Stroking her head I tried to look for the others. I was in a truck full of strangers. The only one I knew was Sabrina. We were all forced out at gunpoint, at first making everyone scream in fear but harsh orders for silence quickly shut everyone up.

We were forced forwards towards a large warehouse in the middle of nowhere. I had no idea where we were but it definitely wasn't New York City anymore. In my hand I clutched Sabrina's tightly, keeping her reassured as we slowly made our way down into what looked like a slaughter house. All I could hear was the silent sobbing of women as I looked closely at all the equipment inside.

There were metal stands with straps to secure down a person as well as hundreds of monitors, computers, trays of equipment, needles and heaven knows what else. I knew that we were in serious trouble. Suddenly someone shouted and I turned my head, holding onto Sabrina as I saw a man making a beeline for the exit. As everyone saw one of the guards lift their guns we all panicked, shouting for them to not shoot but the bullets fired and the man dropped down dead, blood pouring from his wound as his heart continued to beat until finally, he stopped convulsing.

"We're all going to die!" Sabrina sobbed into me so I continued to hold onto her, trying my best to look calm and collected as we were ushered down a flight of steps then locked into various rooms. They were empty and the dark grey walls seemed to forever loom closer, swallowing the air until you couldn't breathe. Sabrina and I sat in the furthest corner away from the door, keeping out of sight as after a couple of hours, the guards came back. They pushed through, looking over subjects and checking things like their teeth, arms and eyes before taking them away.

By now everyone was in a state, women sobbing their hearts out in fear as men tried to break down the door but to no avail. "I don't want to die, Robyn. I really don't want to die!" Sabrina continued to cry until she was hiccupping uncontrollably, making me smile ever so slightly.

"We're going to be okay. I'll figure a way out of this. Perhaps I can steal the guard's keys or something?"

"But they had security feeds all over the place, how will we get out without being noticed?" I didn't have an answer for that so I just elected to hug Sabrina tighter. In the far distance I could hear screaming. In the dead of night when everyone else was sleeping, you could still hear it only a little louder. It kept me awake all night. That and the fact that some desperate people were having one last night of ecstasy before their apparent demise in the morning. It was gross to listen to and no matter how many times I tossed and turned and stuffed my fingers into my ears, I couldn't sleep.

In the end I sat up and hissed into the darkness. "Will you shut up? I'm trying to sleep!" They went silent after that. Sighing with frustration I settled back down on the cold, hard floor and drew up my hood to keep my neck and ears warm. Hundreds of plans rolled through my mind that night until I finally managed to sleep from sheer exhaustion. None of them seemed plausible without a faintest hope of them working.

The next morning one or two more subjects were taken and then it went on like that for every day until there were only a handful of us left. We were brought meals once a day and only occasionally something to drink. I managed to beg some more water from the guards outside when Sabrina began to feel dehydrated and faint one evening about a week after our kidnapping but I only managed it once.

Finally there were only three of us left. When I heard the guards coming I knew instantly they were coming for one, if not all, of us. "Sabrina, lay down, pretend to be sleeping." I whispered, grabbing her hand and running to the furthest corner and together we huddled down, closed our eyes then pretended to sleep. I knew they were going to take one of us because it was not meal time or toilet break time. I was right.

The torches shone into the room and they instantly fell on the last man in the room. I was slightly glad they took him away, though he fought back with all his might. He had tried to rape us in his fearful desperation but one solid punch to his nose sent him crawling back to his corner with his tail between his legs. I know it was horrible to think that way but I rather him than me or Sabrina. Now we were the only two left.

"What now? There's no way out, we might as well kill ourselves now." Sabrina muttered hopelessly, hugging me tightly as we lay in our little corner.

"Well, if they come for us then I'll volunteer to go before you. It'll give you a little more time." I murmured. "I'm not afraid."

"You're so brave, Robyn. I wish I were more like you."

"I'm not brave. I just care about you, Sabrina. You're like a sister to me." Sabrina sucked down a sob then cuddled closer to me, shivering slightly from the cold. Two days more passed and for a moment, one brief moment, I thought they had forgotten about us as no meals came in that time. However, my hope was short lived.

In the middle of the day the door swung open and both of us stood, me instantly hiding Sabrina behind me. They never said a word but as they walked towards us I stepped forwards and offered them my wrists, allowing them to take me away. When they reached for Sabrina, however, I fought back.

"Leave her alone!" I growled, beginning to struggle as she whimpered. "I'll haunt you as a ghost if you hurt her! I'll follow you until your deaths then kill you in the afterlife!" My threats bounced harmlessly off them as we were dragged along the corridor of rooms where the others had been. Every door was swung wide open, showing no one else inside. We were the last. "What are you going to do with us?"

"Shut up."

"No, you shut up!" I snapped back, narrowing my eyes. "Unless you're going to tell me why we're here and what you've been doing with all those other people. Then you're welcome to speak." In answer the guard tightened his grip on my arm and shook me, dragging me up the stairs. I fought them every step of the way, kicking spitting and biting at them until four guards had to restrain me on the metal stand, struggling to keep me down as they pulled the straps tight.

"This one is strong. Perhaps we'll have a little more luck." I heard a deep, mechanic voice and looked to the left, panting for breath as I tried to wriggled free. A man dressed in a black leather doctor's coat stepped closer, only just in my peripheral vision. He terrified me. My eyes widened as I stared at his horrid mask, obscuring all features with tinted glass to reflect the whites of my eyes, making me even more afraid than before.

I watched as he reached over and picked up what seemed to be a medical gun. Instantly I began to fight, pulling on my bonds as I glanced over to Sabrina who was tied down in a similar situation to mine however everyone was leaving her alone for the moment.

The crazy doctor grabbed my left arm to hold it steady, his strong grip making me flinch as he pressed the gun into my forearm then pulled the trigger. Something shot into my skin, making me cry out as a horrible acidic smell filled my nostrils. My entire left arm went numb, all feeling fading away as I stared at the bleeding cut where something was now embedded into me. "A little nasty but at least you won't feel the pain. If you could then you would be screaming for mercy." His voice sent shudders down my spine but I hid my fears deep within me.

"What did you do to me?" I demanded hotly, spitting at him. "Tell me!"

"But of course. What I have injected into your arm is a new development of mine. I'm going to make you a better human. Don't worry, the pain will soon make you pass out. After that you won't feel a thing and when you wake up, you'll be a new human being."

"I like being a sinner, thank you very much!" I bellowed in rage, writhing like a snake as I tried to claw at him but the doctor just stood there, calm as a statue. "Take it out!"

"No, no, my dear, I'm afraid that is out of the question." Suddenly I felt a twisting pain in my stomach, making my grunt from the pain as I clenched my eyes shut.

"What's happening?"

"We're altering your genetic structure. Quite remarkable, you're tolerating the pain rather well. Let's see how much you can take." The doctor moved over to the computers and shoved a worker out of the way, tapping onto the keyboards as he began to mess with the chip in my arm.

Suddenly my legs began to burn as well as my fingers and arms, everything just began to scream as if I had just run ten thousand miles without stopping and without changing speed. A scream dropped from my mouth as sweat poured from my body, my body jerking violently. "Of course, not many actually survive the procedure. We've been unsuccessful so far." I heard him through my void of darkness and agony, fire burning at my lungs as I gasped for breath.

"Increase muscle percentage." The doctor said to a group of technicians who instantly began to work. "Add muscle memory patterns to the body from file six-three-four."

"Yes sir." What was happening to me? I felt as if my entire body was being ripped apart then being stitched back together only to be ripped open again.

"Increase bone strength by four percent." I could barely hear what he was saying, it was too hard over the sound of me screaming but somehow, some of it leaked in. "Now increase by ten percent. Flexibility by one hundred, double sensors receptivity." Suddenly my ears exploded as I felt them begin to melt, making me scream even louder. If that were possible.

"Sir! She's stable. She's testing as a positive subject. Her body is not rejecting the alterations as of yet but signs of extra strain are showing on her brain patterns. It might tear her apart mentally." The doctor growled sharply then sighed.

"Stop all alterations. Stabilise the girl. Bring on the next." The moment I felt the lightning running up and down my body begin to cease to a tolerable pain I slumped, hanging my head as I felt everything begin to shut down. Two guards took off the restraints and together they dragged me away, one arm over their necks. They took me back to one of the empty rooms then tossed me inside, slamming the door shut behind me.

Everything within me ached, I couldn't move a muscle and there was a shrieking pain in my head where the echo of my scream continued to echo. My body and mind dropped into unconsciousness but not before I heard a long, piercing scream that was not mine.

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**Make sure you review guys, even if it's just a "good" or a "bad" because then I can put more chapters up and I'll know what people think, whether I should continue or not so...yeah. I'm looking at you. *narrows eyes accusingly*. So, you see that little box just down there? Yah, please write something in it. Ta!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews guys!**

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Every morning they would bring me back to that crazy doctor and everyday he would manipulate my body. He kept on telling me he was helping me. He was making me into something the world could benefit from and that I could help save lives. My duty to my country.

Yeah right. I'd rather sign up to the army than deal with this crap. That's how to really serve your country, fight for it. Soon I just blanked through the sessions, unable to even register the pain as they continued to try and increase my health stats or whatever. I hardly understood any of it.

At one point I was aware of more test subjects being brought in but several days later I heard the doctor getting angry at someone because they were all out of victims again. Not for the first time, I was physically sick in the corner of the room. I don't know why I was still alive. I wanted to be dead. I should be dead. No one could go through this amount of pain and live, could they?

I know I said I never had a right to complain but…I think I've earned it now. So I'm complaining. Why me? Why do I have to have so much bad luck? I want to die so I can go and find my mom and Sabrina. Oh dear god Sabrina…she didn't make it.

I cried myself to sleep, curling up into a tiny ball as I struggled to move from the position that the guards had thrown me into. I know they were trying to manipulate my body into some sort of super human being but seriously, after every session I never found the strength to even lift a finger.

It went on and on until I had completely lost sense of time or human thought. I was a shell. Broken. Alone. Afraid. I was becoming a monster, they were making me into a monster. Deeper and deeper into the void I went until I felt that there was never again going to be any light in my world. Then, an angel appeared.

As usual I was laying crookedly on the ground, unable to move as my mind fell into blankness, unable to think or feel when I heard a voice. A voice I hadn't heard before. It was a woman's voice, which was what caught my attention because I had no recollection of women around here at all.

"Guys, there's someone in here. Snake, get this door open!" That was when, a few moment later and after a heavy crash, my angels appeared. I wanted to look at them, give them a smile and ask if they knew my mom but I couldn't even blink. So I just lay there as they both crouched down beside me, my eyes staring into space as if I were merely a corpse. Someone checked my pulse. "She's alive but barely. We need to get her out of here Snake." Someone curled their arms around me and I could smell the scent of leather. That's when I began to panic. The doctor wore leather. I remember it distinctly as its pungent odour was often my only companion aside from the agony.

My body began to twitch as I somehow found some small degree of strength to fight back, to get the monster who had manipulated my body and twist off his head. However I soon fell back into the void as my energy soon depleted and I was left feeling just as empty before. The only difference was the fear I felt. It was something, so I grasped onto that and refused to let go as it kept me feeling alive.

I could feel us running, the sway making my tangled, loose hair float on the breeze which was another sensation I embraced, the floating. It was easier than laying on a cold hard floor. Keeping my energy conserved I did my best to relax, somehow understanding that the person holding me, although wearing leather, was not going to hurt me although for a long time I found it very difficult.

Around me I heard explosions and gunfire, the shouts of men as they tried to fight or run. I wondered where the doctor was, I hoped they had got him. Because when I get my old strength back and I can move, he'll be finding my fist in his mouth.

Suddenly I was welcomed into heat and sunlight, a cool breeze blowing onto my body which made me sigh and finally relax fully, my skin welcoming the warmth as it kissed my cheeks, breathing life back into me. I felt movement in my fingers as they twitched, beginning to move with my toes.

The light and warmth disappeared as I was carried into some sort of vehicle and I slumped slightly in disappointment as it suddenly felt cold again. "Come on guys! Move it!" The female shouted and I flinched from the sudden noise, eyes still closed. I heard the pounding of feet as people poured into the vehicle which confused me. Were they climbing steps?

Without warning the vehicle moved forwards, the engines humming softly as it rose into the air then streaked forwards. So we were in a plane. That makes sense. Someone had propped me up into a comfortable position with a blanket around me but after disappearing for a moment, they returned. When a hand gripped my right wrist and lifted it up, I began to twitch again, trying to pull it back. All I got was a pathetic twinge.

A needle was gently pressed into my skin and something injected into my bloodstream. All of a sudden, I was wide awake. My eyes flew open and I cried out, pushing the black leather clad figure away from me with wild eyes of fear when I saw the mask. "Get away! Don't hurt me again!" I covered my face with my hands, retreating back into the corner as I tried to make myself as small as possible.

"Hey take it easy, please trust us. We're not going to hurt you." A soft female voice informed me, her soothing tone encouraging me to look out through a crack in my hands. She was bright ginger with warm, welcoming eyes and smile. Instantly I felt myself calm down.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Scarlet. You're alright. You're safe now. Can you remember your name?" I blinked at her, slowly coming out of my shell. What was my name? It seems so long since I had thought about it.

"Subject Forty Three." I recalled but then frowned. That couldn't be it, it didn't sound…human. "That's…that's what they called me."

"I see." Scarlet mused then glanced over her shoulder to a larger man with dark skin. Instantly I shied away from him. "What do you think?"

"She might know a something about what was going on." He replied simply, dark eyes fixated on me. "Cobra Commander blew up everything he didn't take with him."

"Yeah. I have no new data to work on." A smaller guy with glasses grumbled in the corner, pushing the frame back up his nose whilst peering at the screen. I felt a small throb of pain in my left arm but I ignored it as I looked around the team.

"I know this is a lot to deal with but we're going to need your help." Scarlet said to me and I swallowed nervously before nodding. "What can you remember?" Suddenly I remembered something, just as a twinge happened in my head and my arm.

"Robyn!" I blurted and Scarlet blinked at me as if I were crazy. "I think my name is Robyn." It certainly felt right.

"Okay, Robyn it is." She nodded. "What can you remember?"

"Let her rest first. Her body has suffered trauma to the head and survived in poor conditions for a long duration of time." A lightly accented voice spoke quietly, drawing my attention to the good looking Asian man sitting in the corner, wearing all white and spinning a strange metal star between his fingers. His eyes slyly slid over to meet mine and I frowned ever so slightly at him before looking back at Scarlet who sighed.

"Alright. You get some rest…" I didn't hear the last part. I lurched forwards with a strangled cry, gripping my stomach as I felt it contort painfully then set alight with flames. "Robyn! What's wrong?" Instantly Scarlet was next to me, trying to pull me upright but as she lifted me up, I leaned into her, my head rolling forwards as my mind began to seemingly melt. My arm felt like it was ablaze with repeated stabbing pains as I gripped it. A memory flashed through my mind, a gun being pressed to my skin before another sharp burst of pain hit me like a gale wind, throwing me backwards.

"Snake! Bring a sedative!" No, don't sedate me! I'll die! Unable to speak except to cry out in utter agony I pushed forwards, groping for the medical bag which lay next to Scarlet. I tore it open, searching for something sharp. When my thumb brushed against the blade I quickly grabbed it, barely able to see through the tears as everyone crowded around, unsure what to do.

Scarlet tried to wrestle the scalpel from my hands but I shrugged her off and changed grips, sucking a deep breath before plunging it into my arm. Scarlet cried out but the warrior in black held her back, tilting his head curiously. Once I had drawn a deep cut into my skin, the blood pouring from my wound I dropped the scalpel then lifted my arm to my mouth, burying my teeth into the wound without thinking. "No! Stop it! What are you doing?" Scarlet demanded as everyone else all took a step back of disgust. All I knew was that I had to get rid of that chip which was in my body, threatening to tear me apart from inside out. My teeth gripped it and with all moment of hesitation to draw my courage, I ripped it out along with the pain.

Blood stained my mouth and I could taste its rustic nature on my tongue, making me shudder as I spat it out, wavering on my knees before collapsing forwards into a heap, unable to see, hear or sense anything more as I was dragged once more into the void.

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**So I'll post the next chapter up after a few reviews, thanks for dropping by!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry it's been a while, had a cold and couldn't face the computer screen for a while. Anyway, I'm back now and so is Robyn!**

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Light. I wanted light. I wanted the warm sun and endless day until this void I was trapped in was lifted away from me, a prison in my own mind. I wanted light and heat to radiate around me until all memories of what had happened were burned away never again to be seen.

Everything was a blur. I heard voices from time to time. People carrying me places, my back resting on a stiff, straight board. For a moment I had feared that I was returning to that place where they would torture my body until I was once again broken. However, I then awoke to a soft bed, my head resting on a beautiful white pillow and warm sheets tangled around my body.

With a gentle sigh I opened my eyes and lifted my head, looking around me. I was in a medical room but I wasn't connected to any equipment, it just stood in their place silently to leave me sleep in peace. I was glad about that. If I had woken up and found myself hooked up to monitors with tubes sticking out of me, I would have freaked out.

At least I was certain of one thing. My name was Robyn. I had remembered that for definite in the void where all other memories were lost. It seemed I would have to walk through that labyrinth to try and find them all again.

Slowly I swung my legs out from the tangled sheets, rocking gently before rising to my feet, testing the waters. I seemed fine so I took a step, paused, took another then stopped. I could walk again! Smiling proudly at myself I turned around, looking at the room to search for clothes as I was only in a doctor's gown.

"Good morning ma'am. It's good to see you up on your feet." Startled I turned around, trying to find the source of the voice but the room was empty. "My name is General Hawk, I'm on voice speaker, in case you're wondering. There are some clothes for you in the closet at the end there. Feel free to dress then when you are ready, I'll send Scarlet to come and get you."

"How are you seeing me?" I asked cautiously, focusing on the loudspeaker where the voice was coming from. "How do I know you won't look?" Hawk chuckled.

"You'll be completely alone, you have my word. Press the button by your bed once you are ready." After a soft click I was left in a room of silence. Not entirely believing this strange voice I pulled a screen around my bed then changed under the sheets, wanting to keep my body to myself.

What shocked me, however, was that it wasn't my body. The moment I was dressed I flung the closet to look in the mirror and lifted my shirt. A rock solid stomach of muscle met my gaze, one I'm certain I didn't have before. I felt strange, this wasn't my body. I was sure of it. It felt wrong, too strong, too different. Dropping the white tank top I tightened the belt holding up my combats then pressed the button at the side of my bed before neatening it out. Straightening the sheets and fluffing up the pillows before turning to face the door. When I saw a little mop of ginger hair, I knew it was her.

"Hello." She smiled brightly at me. "Sleep well? You gave us quite a scare."

"I'll bet. I'm sorry. I panicked and couldn't think of any other way to get that thing out of me." I answered, hanging my head a little.

"It's okay. It's out and they can't hurt you anymore. Come on, General Hawk wants to talk to you." Sucking in a deep breath I nodded then followed after Scarlet who opened the door then began to lead the way. The corridors were long and rather complicated but thankfully there were a few signs around to help guide the way, though I was sure Scarlet didn't even glance at any one of them.

When we reached Hawk's office Scarlet knocked then opened the door after the voice gave permission for entry. "Sir, she's here." Scarlet nodded to me so I stepped in. I took in Hawk's features, instantly knowing he had once been in the military. The way he carried himself reminded me of someone else. A face I couldn't quite remember.

"Sir." I nodded to him then looked to Scarlet. "Do I salute?" She chuckled.

"No it's okay. Just relax." She advised before shutting the door firmly behind me, cutting me off from the only familiar face I knew. Hawk looked over to me from his desk then gestured to the seat opposite him.

"Come and sit down." I did as he suggested, carefully looking around the room before fixing my eyes on his. "So, Robyn. I'm told you were at the location we sent a special team to recover important information. Care to enlighten me about what happened there?"

"I wish I could sir. Truth is, I can't remember a lot. For a while I even forgot my own name." I admitted with a little shrug. "All I can remember is that I went through a lot of pain and they put a chip inside of me." I lifted my arm to show him the scar. When I looked to my own arm I gasped then looked at it a little closer, running my finger over the perfectly clear skin. "What…I don't understand."

"You healed at an extraordinary rate. Scarlet informed me that your wound healed within a minute of you inflicting it. Now I've had some of my top analysts identify that chip you so graciously gave us." I detected the sarcasm and laughing glint in his eyes and smile. "It's a form of modifying chip. My team believe that it can improve the body's electrical pulses, strengthening messages sent all over the body." I frowned. That didn't sound entirely right.

"With all due respect sir, I think they're wrong." Hawk leaned forwards, arching an eyebrow to tell me he was listening. "I woke up feeling normal but when I saw my body, it had changed. I don't feel comfortable. It feels different, alien. I think the chip modifies the body itself…I remember!" I looked up with a little smile. "Genes! It targets genes. The doctor said he'd make me a better human. I remember a little more..." I gripped my hair, trying to focus on the images that were still very fuzzy and out of sync. "He…forced us to participate in trials. There were hundreds of us. I remember people. Someone…someone was with me." I could remember that much.

"Is there anything else you can remember?" I shook my head.

"Not yet sir." Hawk nodded his head thoughtfully before pressing a button at his desk.

"Team Alpha to the bridge." To me he said. "Come with me." I rose and let him lead the way, all the way seeing tiny images flickering before my eyes, out of order and hardly understandable. Hawk walked onto the bridge and everyone instantly stood to attention until he lifted a hand and stated. "At ease." Team Alpha were already there. It was the team who rescued me.

"General." A thick bodied man I barely recognised from the plane nodded to Hawk.

"Team, you remember Robyn, don't you?" When everyone turned to look at me I instantly shrank back and looked away, swallowing nervously.

"We remember." The same guy spoke again. "What's this about?"

"It's about the chip that had been retrieved from her arm. Robyn believes it has altered her genetic structure." Instantly everyone was standing up with open mouths.

"That's impossible! Genetic moderation is generations ahead of our time."

"You haven't met a genius like Rex. Everyone thought nanotechnology was impossible. Want me to remind you how that went?" Another military based man spoke, his tags just in view of my vision. Duke. His name was Duke. How was it I was able to tell a military person just by the way the stood or walked? Did I know someone like them?

"So you're saying is this girl here, is now some super human?" Another dark skinned man frowned, then peered around at me. "Now this I got to see." He suddenly grinned then walked up to me, reaching out with a hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Rip." I backed away from him slightly, blinking at him as his hand hung out in the air.

"Easy Rip. She's shy around strangers." Hawk said, coming to my rescue.

"Nah, we're okay aren't we?" Rip grinned then placed an arm around me. Instantly I freaked out, my eyes widening. I ducked under his arm, grabbed his wrist then lifted him up to throw him away from me all in a move that was over in the blink of the eye as my vision blackened, only the sensation of moving available to me.

I retreated back as Rip landed on the floor at the other side of the room, me staring in horror at what I had done. "I…I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it!" I squeaked, gripping my wrists tightly. "I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. It's the most amusing thing that's happened around here for a long time." The white wearing ninja answered, leaning back with a casual smirk as Scarlet helped Rip stand up.

"Man. That's some pitch you got there. You ever play baseball?" Totally freaked out by myself I trembled, unsure of what to do.

"It's alright. Just calm down." Hawk suggested. "You're among friends here. Rip's just a little more friendly than others." Hawk shot him a look which read it all. Rip held up his hands and gave an innocent grin. "Now we're going to need everything you know about what happened, from start to finish. We'll keep you here under surveillance before we take you home. After that, you're going to have to pretend none of this ever happened."

"I don't have a home." I said without even realising it. Hawk frowned at me.

"What do you mean you don't have a home?" I shrugged, unsure of what I meant.

"She doesn't have a home because she's homeless." The geek explained, looking on his tablet and continually tapping at things. "Miss Robyn Grayson has been homeless for the last eight years." Everyone stared at me. Even I frowned.

"I have?"

"Yes. Your mother died in a fire at the hostel you were staying at. You were homeless before then too." He looked up with sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"But…but…where's my dad then? Why wasn't he there?" He looked down, read a little further then looked up to me again.

"Car crash." The double weight of knowing I was alone in the world hit me again. To know that your parents were dead once was painful, to hear it again after forgetting was unbearable. I turned into the centre table and slid down, unable to keep myself supported. Scarlet came to my side and rested a warm hand on my shoulder as I tried to figure out what it was I was feeling.

I didn't want to cry, I felt like I had cried too much over the years. I felt drained of tears. That's the only way I could describe it, a cold emptiness where there was nothing left of you within. "You're going to be okay." Scarlet said to me gently. "Everything will be fine." I slowly turned to look at her, my eyes dead and empty.

"I can't even remember their names or their faces." I murmured to her. With a pitying sigh Scarlet placed her arms around me and I leaned into her, blinking dumbly in shock as the others talked quietly among themselves. What was I supposed to do now? I had nothing to return to, nothing to go back to. I was stuck in a rift which was crushing me.

"You know, we could always test out your new abilities. You could try making it onto the team." Scarlet suggested suddenly, making Hawk look down at us. "Right General?"

"I don't know. We don't know the condition of this alteration Robyn has gone through. She could hurt herself mentally. Then there's the possibility of an override. What if Cobra somehow manages to get control of her again?"

"They won't." I said boldly, looking up at him. "I won't let them."

"As much as I believe you, I can't take your determination as enough to guarantee the safety of my people." He continued to look down at me, tilting his head slightly. "However, I am confident that my team will have the combined strength to contain you should you go off the hook." He smiled warmly down at me. "Alright. Scarlet? I'll let you take care of her." I stood up, a small smile on my lips as I faced the General.

"Thank you sir. I won't let you down." I promised then gave him a salute. I blinked after a moment, puzzled at how I knew how to salute. I looked at my hand in confusion then back to Hawk who saluted back then called out to everyone else.

"As you were." When he left, Scarlet took me by the hand to turn me back to face her.

"So. Try outs for the team. You ready?" I nodded my head but then felt a stabbing pain in my stomach.

"Sure. Just one request." I bit my lip. "Can we get something to eat first?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming!**

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It was amazing, this new body. I especially liked the fact that I could wrestle with the toughest of guys and still pin them down if they were no more than a small toddler crying for its mommy. Rip never seemed to give up in his determination to defeat me in an arm wrestle. He worked harder than ever before to try and bulk up but my genetically enhanced body crushed him every single time. For what must have been the five hundredth time I slammed Rip's hand down on the table then cracked a broad grin.

"I almost had you!" Rip yelped as he nursed his injured hand.

"Come on Rip, just take the hit and get over it. You're not going to win." Duke said to him, gripping his shoulders and shaking them gently. "Give up your pride."

"No! I can do this!" Stubbornly he offered me his hand again, eyes narrowed in fierce concentration. "Again."

"I don't want to crush your hand, Rip. It's swollen as it is." I pointed out to him. "I don't think it's a good idea." Rip arched an eyebrow then groaned.

"I always get beaten by girls!"

"Well, maybe if _you_ weren't such a girl, you'd be able to make a man of yourself." Scarlet said teasingly, coming to sit beside him with a pack of ice which she wrapped around his right hand, making him wince.

"Dang that hurts." Duke rolled his eyes then nodded to me as I stood. I gave him an uneasy smile then looked around, wondering what else there was to do. The doctors here had ordered I don't start training until they were sure there was nothing wrong with me and that my body had definitely healed. The only thing was, I was beginning to feel restless.

Sure my body was now some sort of superhuman machine but I still needed to burn energy. "I'm going to go for a walk." I announced quietly in case someone was listening. "I'll be back after I've had some air." No one seemed to hear but it was against procedure to go off somewhere without letting someone know where I was going.

Slipping away I began to navigate my way through the seemingly endless maze of corridors. I didn't find it as hard as I initially thought I would to get from the rec room to the surface. It seemed I could remember the way from the tour Scarlet had given me a few days ago. Another thing to add to the enhanced qualities.

Sometimes it made me feel a little sick, thinking about how mutilated and twisted my body was, a mere shadow of what it had been. For a while I had feared they had altered my features as I couldn't quite remember what I used to look like until most of my memories had returned.

I knew my body had felt wrong and now I remember why. Because I was used to being malnourished. It was okay though, I still had the same tawny bronze eyes, plain hair and plumped lips of my old self. I could even remember my mother, though most memories were still locked away in that soundless void where I was afraid to go searching. She had been beautiful, very beautiful. The kind of tragic beauty, like Juliet.

Once I was out in the main hanger where all the jets stood like silent sentries I climbed up into an air duct without anyone seeing, curling up in the grove as cool air blew in at me, taking the heat from my body which threatened to dehydrate me.

I could just see through the slowly beating fans out to the sand, a golden river under the blazing heat of the jewelled sun with its light bouncing off the ocean of water, turning the crusts of the rippled waves into a multitude of diamonds. If you could hold the sun in your hand without it burning, how much would it be worth to make it into a necklace like a diamond? Probably a lot, however I think it looks better in the sky. That way everyone can share its warmth.

Taking a deep breath and closed my eyes, listening to the distinct humming of the fans. Apparently the old base had been in another desert, the Pit, though after being infiltrated they had been moved here. I wasn't sure where "here" was but as far as I was aware, we were on an island. It was secure, completely off the books with plenty of sea around us to give fair warning of any attack, whether from above or below water.

I didn't sleep much these days because of the dreams but the fan seemed to lull me into a sort of security, allowing me to lapse into darkness with very little to disturb me, except for the occasional clang of a tool being dropped or the distant murmur of voices. I must have dozed for the good part of three hours before people began to come looking for me.

Not meaning to cause trouble I climbed out of the duct when I heard Rip calling my name. "Robyn! Robyn where are you?" I dangled over the edge to reach out for my next grip to lower myself onto a ledge but my fingers slipped as my foot lost its pressure on the wall, causing me to squeak and drop to the ground.

Instinctively I curled up into a little ball to make myself as small as possible, hoping that way less injury would occur. It all happened so fast that I didn't realise that someone was holding me for at least a few seconds. Slowly I pulled myself out of my shell, uncurling with a deep frown.

When I looked up into Snake Eyes' visor, I blinked, seeing my startled face reflected back at me. All at once my body rushed into motion, springing from Snake's grip then stumbled back a few paces. "I…I…" I fumbled, the smell of leather still surrounding me. Snake tilted his head to the side carefully then reached out to point to my arm. Looking down I found a small graze, which tingled as it began to heal. "Oh. Right." I swallowed, trembling slightly. "Thanks for the catch." I threw at him with a strange change of pitch somewhere in the middle, shooting up the range before I turned and hightailed out of there, stumbling into several people and other things clumsily on my way.

I know it wasn't fair to Snake but he still scared me. The leather smell of his gloves as well as the doctor's lab coat was still distinct in my memory, unable to be washed out and he wore that mask, which terrified me even further. The Doctor, or Cobra Commander, wore a mask too and the similarities were just a little too much for me at the moment.

Rubbing my graze I watched as it healed over miraculously, melting away until smooth, clear skin was all that remained. "I see you do not like my brother." A calm voice made me literally leap out of my skin, slamming myself into a wall to stare at the person who had so rudely interrupted my thinking and scared me in the process. Storm Shadow smirked as he stood up from slouching. "He won't hurt you, if that's what you're afraid of. I'm more likely to kill you than him." I didn't point out that this didn't exactly boost my confidence.

Simply wanting to get away I looked at my feet then shuffled forwards until I was far away from him. For the rest of the day I hid in my room, burying my face into my pillow as the clock ticked slowly round its path before beginning anew. I made a promise to myself to ask to begin training tomorrow. I was bored of just sitting around with nothing to do.

The doctors declared that there was nothing they could find that would affect me health wise and there were no nanomites in my system so they were certain that the Commander hadn't used his old project on me. I had to ask what they were talking about after a while because I had become seriously lost. Team Alpha had filled me on all that had happened with some crazy Scottish guy called McCullen, Cobra Commander, Storm Shadow and Duke's ex-but-not-anymore-girlfriend. I almost didn't believe them.

"So…where is she now?" I asked curiously, tucking my hair behind my ear with my little finger.

"In a secure facility. They're still trying to figure out how to remove the nanomites. Once they're out Anna will be arrested for criminal offences and most likely sentenced to life in prison." I stared at Scarlet then to Duke who seemed perfectly at ease.

"But it wasn't her fault she did those things. That's not fair." Duke smiled up at me from where he sat.

"Hawk's going to recruit Anna for the team the moment she's nano free. It'll mean she'll be freed from any charges or sentences for the duration of her service here." That made sense, however it also meant that Anna would have to be a Joe forever. "She's okay with that. Anna's actually looking forwards to kicking ass on a different team."

"Besides. This isn't the first time we've dealt with Cobra. We ran into them when they infiltrated the government and impersonated the President." Roadblock said as he lifted weights as easily as if they were his kids. "Tried to blow up the world. Thankfully he only hit London." I remember hearing about that. It was awful, almost half a country ripped apart by some unknown explosion. There hundreds of theories and explanations for it but the government had never actually confirmed anything.

"Thankfully?" I shot him a look which he raised an eyebrow at. "A lot of people died. Good people."

"A lot of people die every day." I flinched then pressed my mouth shut, turning my head down to the floor. With a sigh Roadblock put his weight on the rack then sat up, leaning on his knee as he looked at me. "Look, I'm sorry but's that the truth of it. There's no point in sugar coating it." I gave a little shrug.

"Sometimes people like to have a little sugar instead of salt all the time." I shot back then looked to Rip who looked excited to see the fight he was expecting to erupt. "Rip? Your eggs are on fire." Rip stood up, sniffed the air then yelled aloud, racing to the kitchenette to douse the flames that had cremated the eggs he had been cooking. I stifled a giggle then looked up as Heavy Duty walked in.

"Alright, General wants us to help the newbie make something of herself. Any volunteers?" Thankfully Scarlet came to my rescue.

"I call first session!" I sent her a look of pure gratitude. "A whole day, so you boys can fight over who gets her next." She turned back to her book, turning the page ever so carefully.

"Fine, I call next session." Rip called over his shoulder then grinned at me. "You and me are gonna fly." I paled considerably.

"He doesn't mean literally does he?" I asked, making Heavy laugh gently.

"Don't worry. He's crazy but he's the best pilot we have. You'll be in safe hands." So with a week fully planned in advance I mentally went over everyone I was going to train with and the order in which it was going to happen. Scarlet for an entire day, then Rip for the next but only until noon which would then take me over to Heavy Duty who will teach me some aquatic skills. After that it was Roadblock, who looked sinister enough for me to tremble in my boots. I kind of worried about that lesson. Scarlet had cut in and quickly called the fourth day, which she eventually agreed to share with Roadblock.

Duke gave me a gentle pat on the back then said he'd train me on the fifth day then leaned down. "You're going to hate me after, trust me." It was only then I remembered he came from a renowned military family. Damn. Day six went to Rip and Heavy then day seven was the one I was glad to be set furthest away. Weapons training with both Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes.

I was pretty sure I wasn't going to last this week.

Boy was I right.


	7. Chapter 7

**Since I have officially been banned from getting ill again by _amberreed69_ I have another chapter for you all. Thanks for the reviews by the way!**

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"If you're not going to kill it then you might as well take up origami!" Scarlet said loudly as she set up the equipment for my shooting practice. "You have twenty targets in total appearing all around at any given moment. You have to shoot them before the time runs out. For every miss then you'll get crunches. Got it?" Her voice was strictly business so I nodded my head obediently. "Good." She pressed the button.

I sensed a change in the air, a metallic humming which made my skin twitch on my left side. Whirling around I had barely aimed the gun before I had fired. Just as I had pulled the trigger I felt heat coming from behind so I turned, keeping balanced in my spin as I shot again. Several more shots were fired like this but when one managed to squeeze through and fire at me just miliseconds before I had shot it, I barely had time to react.

As the fake bullet shot towards me I could feel the magnetic pulse coming from it, which was incredibly strange. I could taste the metallic zing of electricity at the back of my jaw, directing me to the location of where the source was. I flipped up into the air, twisting and rotating my body to become a more difficult target to hit.

Placing one foot down I swung my other around, pulling myself out of the way clearly before shooting down two more targets in quick succession. I watched the lights move, changing direction to form the next target. Without thinking my body began to react.

I ran up the fake wall, springing from one side of a building to another to gain ground before kicking off with all of my might, the muscles in my length propelling me backwards. I arched my back, twisting to angle myself towards the window as the fake soldier took shape and lifting his gun.

My trigger finger squeezed and the lights all faded away. A clear headshot. When I landed back on the ground I turned, shaking my head to clear my slightly confused thoughts before looking to Scarlet. "How did I do?" She just stared at me. The clock beside her was frozen with a good fifteen seconds to spare.

"How…you…"

"What? Did I do something wrong?" I asked in genuine concern, stepping forwards. "I can do it again if you want and I'll do as many crunches as you throw at me." Scarlet smiled at me then shook her head.

"No it's just…you moved just like me." With a little shrug she sighed. "I got my record the same way you did. A headshot whilst rotating in mid-air. Kind of uncanny." Unsure of what this meant I swallowed.

"So because I didn't miss any…does this mean no crunches?" Scarlet cracked an evil grin.

"Hell no. Now drop and give me fifty! I want to see sweat pouring from you!"

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After Scarlet's pretty tortuous routine of endless exercises, shooting practice and weapons management I was pretty tired the next morning. Somehow my body felt fine, it was my mind which was reeling from all the information she had thrown at me. As I was doing press ups she was reeling off facts about every subject imaginable then getting me to repeat them a few minutes later.

So as I went down to the jet hanger to find Rip the next day, I was hoping he wasn't going to do something stupid and put me in front of the controls of a plane, because I was likely to fall asleep and crash. Thankfully he got me into a plane with two controls, which was only a training model with the inability of flight. Thank heaven.

Rip seemed excited to be teaching someone all his stunts, his broad grin never left his features but the moment he was sat in the pilot's chair, he became very serious in his teaching, showing me exactly what every button did or what dial told you what until I practically had it all memorised. I was beginning to feel a little grateful for the enhanced memory function.

Within the hour I was running the start-up sequence without even needing Ripcord to guide me. He seemed impressed. "But you're genetically improved, so it doesn't count." He told me sternly with a broad grin. "I learned on natural talent."

"Sure Rip, whatever makes you feel better." I laughed, guiding the plan through the air, watching the screen as virtual clouds flew past. I kept on glancing to Rip for approval of what I was doing before he asked me to land. Just before I could begin the sequence, however, the dial showing a wide berth of my surroundings began to flash with a dot fast approaching our location.

"Please tell me this is all fake still." I begged of Rip who laughed.

"Of course it is. Well, you've met a possible enemy target. What you gonna do about it?" I shot him a glare.

"You're supposed to be tutoring me." Rip grinned cockily.

"I believe in learning on the job." Sighing I glanced around before flicking at a few switches then reached up, turning a dial before speaking into the mouthpiece of my headset.

"Baby Eagle to Blackbird, report?" I tried questioningly, sending a look to Rip who rolled his eyes.

"You want to find out if they're friend or enemy, that's your first mission. If they start firing at you, then they're your enemy. However, if they reply to your communication then you can liaise with them as to who they are and then go from there. Oh and _try _and sound like you know what you're doing." Narrowing my eyes at Rip I turned back to the virtual screen in front of me where a black jet streaked past then circled around. "Hostile behaviour, be on your guard." Rip advised.

Instantly I switched from autopilot to manual, manoeuvring around to face the Blackbird. "Unidentified aircraft you are in restricted US Military flight space." I began, taking a sneaky glance to Ripcord to see if he was mocking me. He wasn't. "Identify yourself." After there was a soft click and a woman's voice came on screen.

"Simulation complete. Please land your craft then exit safely through the door. Please mind your head and descend the steps with caution." I blinked then chuckled.

"Well. That was easier than anticipated."

"You wait until we get out into the air. Because that's where we're heading next." All colour drained from my face as I stared at Ripcord whilst landing the plane. He was true to his word. The moment we were out of the testing unit he was dragging me to a jet with two seats, one behind the other. He put me in front.

"But Ripcord, I've never flown before!"

"You just did." He replied tartly, strapping himself in.

"Yeah…in a virtual computer simulation." I snapped back as I triple checked I was buckled in. "I cannot believe you're making me do this."

"Hey, think of it this way. In a plane you only crash and death is pretty instant. When you go over to Heavy for aquatic training, if you screw up then you drown, which is a lot slower and way more painful." The moment my radio was up I spoke in a dead tone.

"Funny." Starting up the jet I felt it hum into life as the engines warmed up. "You guys really know how to welcome someone around here."

"Sure do. Make sure you ease on the speed for a moment to let everything check through. Just roll gently forwards before you make your break for the sky." Ripcord advised, settling down in the back. Thankfully he had emergency take over controls so that he could get us both out of trouble if I massively screwed up. Sucking in a deep breath I did as he suggested then once I was satisfied that everything was still in working condition since its last check up, which had been two minutes ago, I began to gather some speed.

Once we were zipping down the runway I lifted us up into the air, biting my lip and whimpering slightly as I felt the weird sensation of solid ground falling behind us. I almost forgot to raise my wheels. Oops. After a while of tight handling and nervous navigating, I began to relax into things.

Ripcord was constantly in my ear, which was both a blessing and a curse. His teaching was good and helped to remind me that I was in good hands but at the same time, it was constant. Therefore it got annoying at one point. We circled the island, never going out of radio distance. "Eagle six what's your status report?" A voice asked through the radio but thankfully Ripcord answered, since he was the senior officer and this was an official update.

"The skies are clear as far as I can see. Nothing to report." I swear that guy was like some unlucky jinx or something, because the moment the words left his mouth, a hostile enemy jet appeared. The metallic surface gleamed as it soared close to my wing, forcing me to bank hard out of the way then pull a tight return to locate it again. "What the hell! Rip! This had better not be one of your ideas of learning on the job!"

"No! This one isn't on me!" He yelled back then grabbed his controls. When I remained piloting the jet, swerving around the jet as it tried to lock onto us.

"Uh…Rip? Why aren't you flying the jet?" I asked him as calmly as I could, although my heart was hammering at a million miles an hour.

"It's not working! The system isn't responding!" He did not help by practically hyperventilating in the back. Now I was in a panic.

"What?" I practically yelled, pulling hard on my joystick to perform a complete loop over the jet's head, taking a deep breath before speaking through my mouthpiece. "Alpha Nest this is Eagle six. We have a hostile enemy aircraft within the perimeter." When all I received was static, my panic attack returned. "Rip?"

"Yeah?" He answered, his voice breaking.

"Promise not to panic." I said then dropped our altitude a little before banking steeply upwards, keeping out of the way of the enemy aircraft as it continued to pursue us.

"Okay."

"We've lost all communications." There was a long pause before I heard an almighty scream leave his lungs. I flinched against the sound, my sensitive hearing picking up the high soprano like it was on a megaphone. "Rip? Rip? Rip!" I bellowed and he fell silent. "Shut the trap and concentrate. I need eyes on at all times." Ripcord gulped then nodded.

"Sure, sure I knew that." He looked around then called out. "Six 'o' clock, coming up fast." I added some speed then pulled a wide circle, rolling over the body before diving into some cloud cover. "Nice one."

"Thanks. No idea where it came from. Seems like you're a better teacher than you…" Before I could finish the sentence, a jet shot out in front of me, causing me to yell in shock then bank hard left to avoid collision. "Heaven on earth! Do you want to make sushi out of us?" I yelled over the radio, trying to connect with this new bird but all I got was static again. "Damn."

"Just stay calm, Robyn, you're doing great. Now we have the standard issued ammunitions on this baby, we'll have to use them."

"They were disabled before we came out, remember? You really want a novice flyer handling weapons like that?"

"Point taken. Okay so we're stranded. We're going to have to head back and let out boys finish them off."

"Rodger that." I replied then narrowed my eyes, concentrating. The two jets flashed passed, circling us. It was like they were toying with us, which confused me. Why were they waiting? They hadn't even fired one shot at us yet. I pushed these thoughts aside and powered forwards, going back on my trail to return to base and signal for aid.

As predicted the two enemy jets followed, both trying to pull alongside me. I allowed them to do so, something ticking over in the back of my mind. Suddenly I had no idea what I was doing, my body completely took over. The moment both jets were level I performed the body roll, turning the jet over on its side then flew over the jet on my right, continuing until I was on its other side then lowered my jet, gliding underneath.

The jet, now a little confused, veered off to the left to expose me, allowing me a free break towards the base. I took the chance, my mind hardly registering what was happening since it was going so fast. When one of the jets opened fire with a Tommy gun, I smirked.

"Finally. Some real fun." I mused then glided out of the line of fire, weaving and snaking my way through.

"Watch your tail, they're coming in hot." Ripcord called, watching carefully out of the visor.

"Hang on to something." I advised then pulled around. "Let's give them something to think about."

"Robyn? What are you doing?" Rip asked slowly and slightly fearfully. I cackled wildly.

"Something crazy!" With that I looped over my head, pointing the nose back the way we came then turned so that we were now going in the other direction.

"That's towards them!" Rip half yelled. "You insane girl!" All three of us bore down on one another. I saw one jet waver, beginning to break off but he pulled back and continued forwards. Who was going to crack first? We were closing in. Closer and closer until we were practically nose to nose.

At the last second, with Rip screaming in my ear, I turned the plane on its side. We just fit through the gap but at the last minute panic the other two jets both split off, breaking out of formation then both banked around in a circle. Calculating every moment to precision, I veered through the jet to have first fired, counting on their arrogance. It worked.

They open fired on us and I pulled their direction to the other jet. "Robyn!" Rip yelled in terror but I had already pulled him to where I wanted to be. Bullets ripped through the air at the other jet and I think several may have struck before it was able to move out of the way.

"That was fun." I mused aloud then smiled as the base came into view. "Yay! Ground! Safe, solid ground!"

"Uh huh." Rip groaned, his head rolling back. "I'm gonna hurl."

"Please don't." I informed him, glancing around before focussing on my monitor. I waited for a few seconds before frowning. Why hadn't they began firing at the two jets circling around the island? Didn't they see them? What the hell was going on?

That was when it clicked. The reason they didn't initially open fire, the reason why one was reluctant to stay on the collision course, the reason why Rip had sounded so afraid at my plan, the reason they didn't shoot down the jets…was because they were us.

"Rip. I'm going to murder you for this." I practically bellowed at him. "You had me thinking we were going to die!"

"Hey, we're alive, right?" Rip offered weakly with a grin.

"I am. You? Not so much." With that I flipped up a small case then flicked the eject switch for the back. "Have a nice swim."

"What?" Were the last words Rip spoke before his seat exploded from the jet and he soared up into the air before falling down to the sea. He pulled the chute open and glided down, kicking his legs at the rich blue water below. I had to laugh. "Kiss that, jerk." I mocked then joined the other two jets in formation, taking the left wing.

We soared through the air, lapping around the island before going a little further out for one last round of what felt like exhilarating freedom. The air was not as scary as I thought it would be. For some reason flying came naturally to me, as if I had done it all my life. My fingers knew what to do, my mind seemed to just leak with the information I needed to control the aircraft.

Finally we pulled back in for landing, rolling down the runway before exiting the jet. I had christened it Martha. "Thanks for the ride Martha." I patted the body then turned, allowing her to be taken care of by the professionals. That's when I saw Rip striding towards me, dripping wet and carrying his parachute. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

Clutching my side I almost doubled over from the laughter, wiping my eyes as tears filled them. When I realised he was still striding towards me and not breaking pace, I began to quieten down. "Uh…truce?" I offered weakly, holding up my hands in surrender. Rip lunged for me.

I yelped and fled, turning to get away. Running off the runway I glanced back, thankful that I was a lot faster than I used to be because of my enhancements. It seemed to be an endless list but so far they were coming in handy. When I turned back, I almost ran into the two other pilots who had helped Rip out with his trial.

Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

I stopped running, staring at them with a slightly gaping mouth as I lost all train of thought. It had been them? Then that meant I had almost killed one of them! Oh crap, now they must hate me even more than before. Crap, what do I do now?

Thankfully I was saved by a charging bull. When I say charging, I literally mean charging. He slammed into me full pelt and tackled me to the ground. My mind blacked out and for a moment I was completely unaware of everything until I was blinking myself awake.

Rip lay underneath me, his arm between my legs as I bridged beneath it, threatening to break it. He was crying out for me to let go and Snake had me by the arms, dragging me away. "But…how did that happen?" I frowned, rubbing my now throbbing head. "Rip I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I blacked out, I swear I wouldn't hurt you on purpose!"

"Dang, you got some grip!" Rip hissed as he shook out his arm, nodding to Storm who had helped him up. "What do you mean you blacked out?"

"Well. I blacked out." I answered then looked to Snake. Instantly I moved away, retreating into the invisible shell I had created for myself. I curled my arms around me and hunched over a little, lowering my head. "I'm sorry."

"Hey it's fine. I've had worse from Duke. Believe me. I have the scars to prove it." Still I felt bad. This guy had had a pretty rough day because of me. "You seriously don't remember what happened?"

"I didn't see anything." I repeated.

"Well, you kind of flipped me onto my back with your leg somehow, completely had it horizontal then you sort of swung into position, landing us both but you had my arm." Rip recounted.

"You were fast. Faster than ninja even." Storm said with a curious look on his face, his arms folded across his chest. With three pairs of eyes all staring at me I retreated further into my shell.

"I'm sorry." I whispered again then pushed my way free past Rip, hurrying away until I was safely out of sight, ignoring Rip calling my name. I ran all the way to my room with the excuse of having a shower. It had been a long day and it wasn't even over. I still had aquatic training. Maybe I'll actually manage to drown someone this time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Proudly bringing the next chapter of _Robyn Hood_! Oh and _amberreed69_ I thought your review was very cute, I was just trying to be humorous but maybe it didn't come across the way I intended? Don't worry either way, I thought it was very sweet of you regardless :)**

**P.S - Here's the real Chapter Eight, sorry guys, I accidentally transferred the same chapter twice. This is why you shouldn't be uploading stuff in the middle of the night! :)**

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By day three, I was exhausted mentally. By day four, I was beginning to feel physically drained though somehow I was still upbeat and continued to find energy from somewhere. By day six, I was completely washed out. The doctor's told me that although my body was completely healthy and genetically enhanced with strength and endurance, my mind was not yet linked to this new physique, therefore sending it the message that I was shattered. Stupid brain.

Roadblock and Duke's training was pretty similar. It was basically training me in field work both in teams and solo. I preferred being in teams as it was a great laugh afterwards and it helped me settle in a little quicker. Also I found I was very good at keeping the peace and keeping everyone focussed instead of arguing.

As well as this, I also found that I liked Roadblock. Once you got past his metal hard exterior, he was all mushy and soft inside. Did you know that he loved sitting in his pyjamas with bunny slippers on his feet, watching Disney movies with his two little girls? How adorable is that? Well he sort of looked out for me. I think he's adopted me as his little niece.

One afternoon at dinner time he had seen a group of guys checking me out, which made me uncomfortable. Block had thrown his bread roll at them then scowled. "If you're done staring, perhaps you'd like to move on. The sight of you is making me physically sick and I want to eat my meatballs." With that he placed a protective hand on my back, sending a clear message. Those guys ran like whimpering dogs with their tails between their legs. No one messes with Roadblock.

So I know loved him to bits and he didn't even intimidate me anymore. If he yelled at me on the training ground, I yelled back with a grin. However as I sat in my room alone, staring at my clock I willed it to go slower, to lengthen each second until time stopped. That way I wouldn't have to go to weapons training tomorrow.

There was a knock on my door so I looked up and saw a little bit of red hair at the small window that looked out. "Come in Scarlet." Apart from seeing her hair, I could also tell it was her by her smell. It was strange but my senses were getting increasingly better. Rather unpleasant to smell hundreds of sweaty guys all the time but I'd gotten used to it.

"Hey, you coming?" I blinked at her. "Dinner, its roast chicken tonight." She tempted and my stomach growled. I loved chicken.

"Yeah." I nodded my head then stood, glancing one last time to my clock before following Scarlet out.

"So are you excited for tomorrow?" She asked me with her usual bright smile, making me feel a little easier and more relaxed.

"Not really." I admitted. "I'm not sure what to expect."

"I'll give you a warning now, those two are the toughest trainers you'll ever meet. They never seem to be satisfied with what you're doing so just ignore that and keep trying. That's all you can do." Scarlet's advice was duly noted. "What else is bothering you?" She seemed so in tune with everyone's emotions, it was crazy. I considered lying and saying that nothing else was wrong but then I would feel guilty about the lie so I sighed.

"They scare me." She laughed. It wasn't malicious or insulting, so I just gave a small embarrassed smile and blushed deeply.

"That is adorable." Scarlet continued to laugh before it gently died down to a chuckle. "You don't have to worry, they wouldn't ever dream of hurting you."

"It's not that. They wear leather." I tried to explain but this only made Scarlet frown and look at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was. "I can smell the leather. Cobra Commander wore leather. I remember that distinctly, that and the mask. That's why I can't stand being around Snake Eyes for too long. The memory sort fades in around him, filling the blanks and…then it's just Commander standing there." I lowered my head. "I don't mean to be rude to him, it's just that a lot of pain goes with that memory." Scarlet stepped closer and placed an arm around me, leaning in slightly to comfort me.

"I'll explain to Snake. I can tell he's been worried about you. He thinks that you just simply fear him and he's tried to help you trust him." I nodded my head and smiled.

"I know. He's a nice guy and I do like him, he's looked out for me from time to time. It's just going to take some time to adjust."

"Would it help if they didn't wear their suits?" I gave a little shrug.

"In the long term I don't think so. I've got to face my fears sooner or later, right?" Scarlet sighed softly then squeezed my shoulder.

"You're so brave but you don't need to hide. You went through some unimaginable pain and experiences. No one expects you to just heal completely and be fine, there's bound to be scars hidden beneath the surface that will need a lot of time to recover from. Don't worry about anything, you're safe here and that's all that matters. Here we're all family. Family protect one another." With that said we entered the mess hall.

Scarlet and I queued up for our food, talking happily with one another and one by one, the others joined us. Roadblock and Duke had grabbed a table and were holding it for us until we got there. Scarlet slid Roadblock his tray she had got him and I gave Duke his.

"So, how's training?" He asked before shoving a large amount of chicken into his mouth.

"Fine I guess. I only wish my stupid brain would catch up with my body." I answered, to this all the boys frowned. Breaker looked up from the gadget he was tinkering with.

"The electrochemical impulses from her brain believe they are sending messages to the receptors of Robyn's old physique with her old strengths and weaknesses, so that means that her body believes that it is fatigued when in fact she is actually receiving the wrong impulses from her brain which causes the fake fatigue." With that he looked down again. Rip blinked and looked to Duke who looked just as lost as his friend did.

"I'm shattered." I translated for them.

"Why didn't you just say that, girl?" Rip grinned then punched me lightly in the arm before tucking into his meal enthusiastically. We talked for a while longer, Roadblock proudly showing me pictures of his girls at the beach.

"They love the beach, it's their favourite place in the world. You'd like them. Duke hates them." He was saying. "Can't control them."

"Hey, you can't either!" Duke shot back with an arched eyebrow. "I swear, you're raising harpies in that house."

"I think they're adorable." I cut in swiftly. "They have to get their looks from their mom though." Block grinned then shoved me gently before sliding to another photo of them on the swings with both him and his wife pushing them. I saw their faces, their bright smiles, all real and so alight with life. "They look so happy." I murmured softly then flinched, hissing as my head spun wildly with painful throbs.

"Robyn?" Block instantly dropped his phone and placed an arm around me. "Do you need a medic?" As the memory fought to come to the surface, I struggled to rise with it. "Robyn!"

"Robyn, what's wrong?" Breaker waved a scanner over my head then stared at the screen.

"That's a lot of activity up there. It seems her mind is trying to remember something buried deep at the back of her mind. The signals are going crazy!" By now the pain in my head felt like someone was drilling a hole into my skull. I cried out loud and suddenly there were huge crowds gathering around to see what was going on. Blurry white images shot before my eyes like hot flames, causing another cry of pain.

"What do we do?"

"Get her to a medic. Block." Scarlet nodded then stood, already pushing people aside as Roadblock lifted my up easily into his arms, Breaker jogging alongside with his scanner, taking readings from my brain.

"Don't fight it, let it come." He advised, excitedly drawing the information as Roadblock shouldered his way through.

"Out of the way!" Suddenly I could feel the chip burning into my arm and my mind melting away as it genetically altered all DNA in my body.

"Get it out! Get it out of me!" I was screaming, scratching at my arm until I drew blood. Block wrestled with me, trapping my arms down so that I couldn't inflict any more damage to myself by I struggled as much as I could. "Let me go! Don't hurt me! Please make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"

"Sedate her!" Scarlet bellowed at the medics who instantly rushed to get the drugs ready. Block lowered me onto a bed but pinned down my arms whilst Heavy, who had just appeared, held down my legs as I fought them both, yelling and screaming as the horrid memory burned brazen hot in my mind. It was if my mind was as fragile as paper, being ripped apart strip by strip until nothing was left but unexplainable agony.

Something cold stuck into my arm and after a few moments, everything began to fade. I lost the will to fight, what was the point? Slowly my body began to go still and Block released me, moving to my head to brush back my sweaty hair as Heavy took a step back to speak with Breaker and Scarlet, whispering in soft tones.

"Robyn? Can you hear me?" Roadblock said and I could just about make him out as my eyelids drooped.

"Block? What…what happened?" I murmured before my head fell to the side and my entire body went still. At least there was no more pain.

The next day I discharged myself. I didn't want to sit through all those tests again when they'd come back with the same result. The problem was me. My mind. I'd created this void to bury all those memories away so that I didn't have to feel anything anymore. I thought I had lost them but it appears not. They were coming back with a biting vengeance.

The better way of remembering things was during sleep, when I would brave that blackness to grab my memories back. The only thing was, I knew the price. I had to take them all or live with the pain forever. For now, I was going to put off the decision until I could summon the courage.

I went to the private training gym where I had been told by Scarlet to meet Storm and Snake. She'd forewarned me that I would have to fight against Snake whilst Storm instructed, since it was the better method of getting things across. I was mentally prepared for this. She also told me that she had told them what I had told her.

At first I had been mortified but then she explained that they understood and they didn't blame me. That made it a little easier to come today. Besides if I worked with them then I'd get used to their company. Then I wouldn't be scared of them.

See? I have this all figured out.

Then they walked into the room. My heart dropped to the floor and my stomach did about seven summersaults as I saw them. Neither of them wore leather. Instead Snake had his full mission suit on, which instantly made me feel bad. If I damaged that suit by accident, because I was clumsy at times, then there would be hell to pay.

For a while none of us spoke. Finally Storm and Snake looked to one another before separating. Snake came to approach me and I watched him carefully, tilting my head ever so slightly. When he got to close however I instinctively shrank back then flinched, which made me curse myself again. I was a terrible person. Why couldn't I just trust this man? He'd been the one to carry me from that hell hole.

"We begin with basic hand to hand combat. Though I'm sure you'll probably memorise it all before the day is out." Storm said dryly, taking off his katana and twirling them around, not even bothering to pay attention to us as Snake waved a hand, gesturing for me to copy him. He took up a stance and I mimicked it, keeping my weight centred and my hands up.

He took a few shadow swings, showing me what to do before nodding. I repeated what he had done but something in my body wouldn't tolerate it. The moment Snake went to fake punch me, my hand whipped out and grabbed his wrist, twisting it as I delivered a kick at his exposed front but his expert knowledge and reactions blocked it.

I yelped and backed away in shock, lifting my shaking hands. "I'm sorry, I don't know why this happens. I keep on blacking out." I explained, hiding my hands behind my back quickly.

"It's because your body has been hardwired for swift reactions. Your training has already been planted into your body as muscle memory, now we must unlock it." Storm said to me, turning his head slightly in our direction. "Don't be afraid to react, trust Snake Eyes to be good enough to be able to defend himself. Focus." And so the torture-ahem-I mean tuition began. I was drilled and taught until I thought my mind would vomit all the information back up for me to see.

It turns out Storm Shadow was right. As well as enhancements, my body has been implanted with knowledge of several arts of fighting, all the way up to the master ranks. It was terrifying at first. I refused to hit hard, unsure of what my true strength was.

Storm argued that I couldn't afford not to strike at an enemy but Snake lifted a hand then made a few signals to Storm, who sighed after Snake had finished. "He says that you are right. That you are still unsure of your new physique's strength. Fine." Storm turned around then waved a hand. "From the beginning, only this time, fight like you want to live!" I seriously wanted to throw that guy into the ocean. Think I could get away with it?

Turning to face Snake Eyes again he gave a slight inclination of his head and I gave a small, uneasy smile as I lifted my hands to protect my face. He struck first with a kick so I drew back, avoiding him altogether with a nervous swallow of the lump in my throat. All at once he sprung at me. My eyes widened but he didn't pull back from the fast blows he now landed on me. I ducked and blocked, moving faster than my mind could register and before I knew what I was doing I had flipped back over my head, aiming a kick at Snake who leaped back to avoid my attack. Surprising myself with my quick move, my mouth dropped open. Storm Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Do not look so impressed. It was a basic move."

"But I've never done it before." I answered, turning to glare at Storm who arched an eyebrow at me. "So I'm pretty proud of myself, thank you very much." Spinning around I only saw a flash of black before I was flat on my back with my arm gripped firmly by Snake's hands. "Ouch." I winced, feeling my head sting from the blow. "Okay, now my pride's dented." Snake's shoulders shook slightly as if in laughter then changed grips, stepping around to pull me up.

When I was standing I realised how close we suddenly became and I stepped backwards quickly, turning my head away as an unwelcome image of Commander flashed through my mind. I trembled, taking a deep breath before slowly turning back to face Snake Eyes who waited patiently. This was ridiculous, why was I relating this guy who had literally _carried_ me away from that unholy place with the maniac who had turned me into something not entirely human. It was unfair to Snake and made me look like an idiot.

In the time it had taken me to scold myself, Storm Shadow had nodded to his brother in arms and switched places. Seeing as he wore a suit, I couldn't smell any leather on him which instantly made me relax, my tense shoulders sagging.

Storm gave me no warning at all, he just leaped at me. I dropped my weight and got underneath him but before I could rise with him, he had feinted to the left and dived forwards into a roll, escaping me but was already swinging a leg to catch mine and I fell once more flat on my face. "Ow." I grunted but quickly rose to my feet, glowering at Storm Shadow as we began to circle. He was seriously beginning to hack me off, all he seemed concerned with was using me as a punch bag.

We fought against each other, me mostly ending up with either a bruise, split lip or my rear tossed onto the floor but every time I just bounced back up again, refusing to let him get the better of me. Storm seemed to just get frustrated every time I got back up despite he was putting all of his power into the strikes he delivered.

Losing patience, I slowly allowed my mind to stop controlling what my body was doing and let my actual body take over. When I sensed Storm Shadow move forwards, I struck with the speed of a coiled viper. I twirled underneath his arm and kneed him in the gut, sliding my arm between our bodies with my other gripping his tux at the shoulder then flipped him completely over his head then let him land heavily on his back. "Payback." I growled at him as he glared up at me before rushing to his feet. I jumped back swiftly at the sudden movement, my eyes narrowing as Storm faced me, seething with silent rage as he slowly looked to the tear I had made in his jacket.

Crap. Now I'm busted.

A slow smirk rose to Storm's face, one that gleamed darkly and petrified me to the core. I was in big trouble. Very big trouble. My face drained of all colour as I inched backwards, wondering if I bolted now I could escape. Only thing was, the door was past Storm. Slowly he began to stalk towards me, his figure daunting even though I knew I was far stronger than he was. He had experience, a vast expanse more knowledge and skill to draw upon. I was just a dumb grunt too deep in water they couldn't swim through. Could I call a truce?

As an elbow flew my face I ducked but Storm delivered several blows to various parts of my torso, back and arms, making me cry out as pain shot through me before I collapsed to the ground. I couldn't move, not even a muscle. I lay there like a useless rock on my side, one arm trapped beneath me. I whimpered, straining in my panic. What had that jackass done to me? Why couldn't I move? What the hell had just happened? I'm freaking out here!

"Calm down, you'll gain back your movement." Storm Shadow paused, straightening his jacket as he then smirked down at me. "Eventually." I made a furious sound at him and tried to kick but all I got was a pathetic twitch. Snake Eyes was suddenly at my side and I tensed, staring at him as he rolled me onto my back. "You ripped my suit." I did my best to glare at him.

Snake Eyes looked at Storm pointedly for a few moments before sighing. Without warning he stabbed me with his fist repeatedly in similar places to Storm Shadow, who rolled his eyes then walked away. Suddenly I could move. Letting out a gasp I sat up quickly, scrambling backwards as I gripped my arm, flinching as a dull pain throbbed through my body. Shooting a dark look at Storm I sighed, letting my head roll back to the floor as I just gave up for the moment. Storm seemed to have other ideas, however.

"Get up."

"No." I bit back at him, surprising him. He whirled around and looked like he was about to murder me when I rolled onto my front and pushed myself up onto my knees, my muscles aching from being so rudely paralysed then unfrozen in the space of a minute. "You can stand there and be patient." Storm blinked then frowned, glancing to Snake who shrugged then crossed his arms over his chest, watching me as I slowly climbed to my feet. Rubbing the back of my head I rolled my shoulders then nodded, signalling I was ready.

This was going to be a long day.


	9. Chapter 9

**Next chapter is here, thank you for all the reviews, glad you guys are enjoying!**

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One week over and I was still alive. A success right? Only thing was, it began all over again. The time tables mixed up a little more until I was practicing with everyone at least once a day. We started early and finished late. Pretty soon my body was so stressed out that I took to meditating alone in my room until someone came to tell me I had either missed a meal or was about to. The burning memory thing only happened once again after that time in the cafeteria when Storm Shadow hit me in the head with a wooden staff we were training with. Apparently I'm allergic to sticks.

I still struggled to feel relaxed around Snake, it would take some more time until I could convince my mind that he could be trusted. Sucking in a deep breath of salty air I took another step closer to the sea. I knew I didn't have all my memories back but I was pretty sure that I had never seen the sea before. I was always fascinated with it, the way it moved on different days, the changes of colour and the way light reflected off it in different was, from either the sun or the moon.

One morning I awoke with laughter. I had remembered something about myself. I was a thief. That day I spent all my time reviving my old tactics, stealing everything from everyone left right and centre. Don't worry, I returned all items. I found it specifically funny when I managed to swipe Storm's shuriken from his hand without him even noticing. That had ticked him off and I spent the rest of the day avoiding him, should he decide to throw said weapon at my head

Weeks turned into months, months into an agonizingly long wait until Hawk came to his decision. I made the team. He said he was very impressed with my ability to adapt to all situations and circumstances. Although my training was far from over, I was happy to know I was definitely secure here and that I could allow myself to call it home.

So I stood here by the ocean, my private celebration. I turned and walked along the shore, stopping to pick up pretty looking shells and inspect them closely before placing back where I found them again. I was walking along when I saw an oddly shaped shell poking out of the wet sand, obviously just washed in from the tide.

I crouched down and picked it up, brushing the sand away from it until I held a rather large shell in my palms. Stunned at the strange item I stood, turning it around then tried to poke my nails into the crease of its lips, attempting to pry them open but they remained firmly shut. Blinking I lifted it to my ear and gave it a little shake. Something rattled inside.

What could it be? I tried to search my memory for any explanation but none arose. Most of my childhood memories had faded away into the void too. For a time I had even forgotten how to write until it came back to me a few days later.

Curious and intent on finding out what the object inside was I selected a dry patch of sand and sat down, concentrating my efforts on getting this shell open. It was clamped tightly shut. No amount of prying, smashing or pulling would get that stupid shell open. By now it was beginning to get dark and I would have to go back inside. Should I just leave it here?

Out of pure pride and stubbornness I clutched the double sided shell in my hand then returned, climbing up the rocks until I was safely back home. Home. It felt a strange word to think. It felt alien. Shrugging off the feeling I continued to clean the shell, stopping at a fountain to run it under some water before drying it gently with my shirt.

I didn't look up once as I walked back to the rec room, still attempting to open it by force. The door of the rec room opened and a messenger boy dashed out, gripping some papers in his arms so I walked through as the door began to swing shut, still intent on opening this damn thing.

"What you got there sweetheart?" Heavy's warm tone greeted me, making me raise my head and smile.

"I don't know. You tell me." I held it out to him and Heavy frowned.

"That's an oyster." Now I was the one frowning.

"Oyster?" The word sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it.

"You don't know what an oyster is?" Everyone looked around and I shrugged before tapping my head, stating what didn't need to be said. "Right, of course. So, how about we get it open?" Heavy suggested then looked around. "Where are those ninja boys when you need them?"

"There's something inside. I heard it rattle. That's why I was trying to get it open." I explained to him. "I know I should know what is and I feel stupid for not knowing."

"Don't be. You're anything but stupid." Duke said to me, coming up and slinging an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him, his solid frame taking the weight off my feet. Heavy tried to open it with a regular knife from the kitchenette but only served to bend the cutlery piece. He shrugged then straightened it back up again.

"Give it here, this requires a little more muscle." Roadblock chuckled, holding out his hand. Heavy Duty dropped my oyster into Block's palm. Block tried to open it with his bare hands but still, the crust around the edge sealed it shut.

"I tried picking it off but I couldn't get it all." I explained unhelpfully, cracking a grin at Block. Just then a black clad hand reached out and gently pulled it from Block's fingers as he strained to open it. Snake pulled out a knife then gently worked it in, moving it around before suddenly, the oyster popped open with a soft click like the sound of an opening chest.

He opened it up fully then lifted the object inside, twirling it between his thumb and finger before presenting it to me. It was a large shiny ball of white, gleaming effortlessly like the moon. I stared at it then slowly reached forwards. I paused then looked to Snake for permission. He lowered his hand and held the pearl out to me so I cupped my hands together and he placed the treasure in them.

"It's a pearl. Quite a big one too." Scarlet explained. "Can you remember pearls?" I shook my head, lifting it up to the light.

"It's like the moon." I mused then smiled at Snake. "Thank you." He nodded to me then looked to Roadblock as he took the shell.

"Well, I know what to do with this." He said then threw the rest of the contents into his mouth, against all protest. He laughed then was about to toss the oyster in the bin when I stopped him.

"Wait! Can I have it? It can hold the pearl for me." Though I was reluctant to let this pearl go, it was silky to the touch and I already loved the light that shone off it. Block nodded then helped me wash it clean of all the gunk and crusty bits until I had a perfectly beautiful oyster and pearl in my hands. I smiled proudly then looked up at him.

"They're valuable, you know." Roadblock said to me. "Just so you know."

"Why would I need to know that?" I asked, confused. "I'm not going to sell it."

"Someone might try and take it, though. So I'd put it somewhere safe if I were you." Quickly I tucked the oyster safely in my pocket, hand gripping it tightly. I trusted everyone in the rec room, though, so I found my oyster a nice place to sit where the light could hit it effectively before sitting down next to Scarlet, who was reading a book whilst leaning against Ripcord.

"Breaker?" I asked, turning to my geeky friend who looked up. "What do you know about that chip?" Everyone suddenly went quiet and looked over at both Breaker and I. Both of us suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"Well, it's certainly unique. It's like a computer chip, only it works with the transfers in your body, sending the right frequency of pulses to affect the genes in your body. I'm not quite sure what the frequency is yet, I'm still trying to work on the codes but since the chip fried out after Cobra tried to destroy you, I managed to salvage a small piece of the signal on my scanner." Breaker explained. "The signals transferred the orders from Cobra Commander through a computer system which used radio waves to send the signal, transferring them into your body so that they could manipulate your genes into becoming stronger, faster, more flexible and so on."

"Do you know why it only worked on me?" I pressed and Breaker frowned as he shook his head.

"The tests show nothing special about you, no offence." He quickly put in. "You were perfectly normal but somehow you managed to override everything. How did you cope with the pain?" The dreaded question. I swallowed then tried my best not to look back.

"I created a void." I explained. "I put all pain and the memories in there. I think that's how I lost my memory. They stripped me of my identity until I was a no one, so I would go to that void to escape from myself and that's how I managed to deal with the pain. After a while, I couldn't even feel it." I felt Scarlet's hand touch my back gently and rub soothing circles. "Everything's still a little…disorientated, but I'm sure that's what I did." Breaker nodded his head, typing this new information into his laptop.

"Maybe it's not about science." Scarlet said, surprising me. Scarlet never disagreed with science. "What if the reason the chip worked with her was because of her psychological endurance. You were strong willed and wanted to survive, so you built up mental barriers which enabled you to then shield yourself from all outward pain." Breaker and Scarlet instantly began to toss this new theory around. It made the most sense to me. I always knew I was strong willed, to my earliest memory I showed signs of stubborn mindedness and endurance.

"But how did her body not decompose from the treatment? Her strength of mind couldn't have stopped the natural rejection of genetic moderation." I turned my head away from the rest of what Breaker was saying, not really wanting to know that I could have melted into a pool of wax on the spot.

"Well, I vote for some pool. Rip?" Duke said, getting up. His buddy jumped up with a wide grin.

"You're on. I call first shot. Block? Heavy? You guys up for some rounds?"

"You bet." Roadblock nodded, stopping his weight lifting to join them alongside Heavy Duty. Scarlet and I looked at each other before grinning.

"Hey wait up, we want some of the action." Scarlet called and together we ran to catch up with them.

"Oh I see how it is. Alright then, let the tournament begin. Let me just say, I will wipe the floor with you, baby, then you'll be paying for it tonight." I shuddered and gagged behind Rip's back as Duke did the same. We grinned at each other then went into the much larger rec room where the pool tables were. "Okay Robyn, this is how you play…"

"I know how to play." I informed Rip with a smirk. "Trust me."

"Uh…don't you have…a little bit of a memory problem?" I grinned at him then picked up a cue.

"Come on, you don't think a girl like me wouldn't put remembering how to play pool at the top of her priority list?" I began to set up the table. "Let's play. I'll take you on, Rip, then we'll see who is left standing." The boys all glanced at one another, slightly disbelieving.

"How do you know how to play pool?" Duke asked, frowning. I shrugged.

"Its how I used to rustle up most of my money back in the street days. That is until they kicked me out because I kept on stealing everyone's money anyway." Scarlet grinned then laughed aloud.

"Oh this is one I have to see."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! Hope you like this next one**

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The next morning Rip was still complaining. "I was going easy on her!"

"Sure Rip." Duke sighed.

"I mean, I had to be a gentleman, didn't I?"

"Sure Rip."

"It wouldn't be fair if I didn't let her win. What sort of chivalry would it be for me to win without giving her a fair chance?"

"Sure. Rip?"

"Yeah?" Duke pointed to his class.

"I'm a little busy and _you're_ supposed to be helping." Rip looked down bashfully. I grinned then rolled my eyes, watching from a distance. I had found his rant very amusing but now, I had to run to get to the dojo before Storm Shadow. If I ever got there after him, even if I was on time, he'd get hissy about it.

I had literally just ran through the door and stopped to catch my breath when he strode in. "Good, you're ready."

"Actually, can I just have…" I quickly caught the staff out of pure reflex action after he had launched it at me.

"Begin." With a soft sigh I realised that two minutes to catch my breath was out of the question. We worked at one another, Storm sometimes putting in a few new moves which I didn't know and had to block with superfast reflexes unless I wanted a colourful array of bruises by the time we were finished. Storm Shadow didn't make me feel uncomfortable anymore, in fact I'm pretty sure I disliked him a lot. Hated even. He was arrogant and rough with me, who was still only a beginner in most ways, always picking on the tiniest of mistakes until I felt like I could choke on his reprimands.

It was better than being afraid of him, I guess. Anyway, I didn't _really_ hate him. Kind of like a brother sister sibling sort of relationship. Love hate. Snake Eyes came in about an hour later and watched us. My fingers now limber and used to the movement I twirled my staff through them, changing grip to make a hit on Storm's left side but he moved and parried with a blow to my legs.

Before I knew it I was on the ground and groaning. "Ouch." I threw at him darkly then got up again. Storm pushed the butt of his staff into my shoulder to keep me pinned.

"You must be faster." I could feel the wood digging into my shoulder joint, making me flinch as it began to twinge. Snake stood up a little, hesitating to come over but Storm had already pulled back. "Again." So we were back to square one. Thankfully after the staffs I was back with Scarlet and Heavy for more weapons training, only with guns and other cool gadgets.

Heavy taught me how to drive things like tanks, the basic crash course which I absorbed like a dry sponge in water. Scarlet, being the best markswoman in the entire G.I Joe force, helped me with all kinds of guns, from handheld to snipers. I had a knack for it, it seemed.

So one more day of training over I collapsed in the rec room and I either passed out or went to sleep for a few minutes before everyone else came in. Ripcord looked down at me then spoke in a really irritating yet sweet tone. "Ah look at her. All tuckered out."

"Don't wake her Rip. Rip? No don't take a photo." Duke tried to wrestle the camera out of Rip's hands. I opened my eyes then stretched, yawning with a hand over my mouth before sitting up.

"You woke her up! She looked so cute sleeping like that, I was just gonna take one photo." Rip pouted at Duke who laughed. It was then that a messenger entered the rec room, saluting before looking to Duke.

"Hawk wants to see you in his office." With that he turned and hurried away.

"What have you done now, Duke?" Ripcord asked Duke who gulped.

"You're the one always getting into trouble." Duke hissed back, punching Ripcord in the shoulder before heading off to find out what Hawk wanted. With half an hour to spare before dinner time I took to reading, trying to relax but with Rip panicking just a few feet away, it was a little difficult.

"What if he's thrown off the team?"

"Rip, come on. You're overreacting. Unless you've got something you're trying to hide?" I suggested, not looking up from my book. Rip looked like he was trying to hold something in but all at once, it came tumble out in a bundle of jumbled words.

"I framed Duke for setting the lockers on fire by setting a pair of underwear alight and stuffing them into Block's lock up with the matches in Duke's!" With that he sighed with relief then continued to pace. Now I was frowning.

"You did that?"

"Uh huh."

"Wow. Nice one." I said sarcastically before turning the page over. "I'd head over to Hawk's office and confess if I were you. Wouldn't want Duke to get the blame." Rip paused before racing out the room whilst shouting.

"I'm coming Duke!" Now I looked up and met Scarlet's eyes.

"Remind me why you're dating him again?" She laughed.

"Believe me, I have trouble remembering myself from time to time." I had really found a true friend in Scarlet. She was kind and caring and always looked out for me, helping me with whatever it was I needed and in return, I tried to be the greatest friend she deserved.

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I had the morning off the next day to rest and chill out so I went to the beach. Roadblock was going home soon for a few days and had asked me to go with him for a little vacation. I was excited to go and I wanted to bring something back for the girls.

Walking along the beach I picked up the prettiest shells I could find before returning them to my room. After that I suited up into my scuba gear then dived into the ocean with Heavy Duty. He made sure I was within sights at all times but the beautiful coral reef completely enthralled me. I spent ages just gazing at all the bright colours and fish until I was giddy with excitement.

We swam a little further out, checking our oxygen from time to time before I saw something moving in the water. I had hastened over to Heavy and pointed the shape out, making him look. It was swimming closer, rippling its body until the word exploded into my mind. Dolphins!

An entire pod of them came over to us curiously, swimming around whilst making soft clicking noises. I reached out to one and the dolphin allowed me to hold its flipper, making me grin widely as I began to play with them. We played chase, occasionally I would catch one but only when they let me.

Swimming with dolphins was one of the things I had always wanted to do as a kid, I remembered that and now here I was. Heavy returned to the surface and pretty soon Scarlet and the others were down with me. Breaker took notes on his waterproof tablet thing about the dolphins. That guy was always learning. I was busy playing catch with an oyster. Oyster? I caught it after a large male dolphin had nuzzled it over to me and I looked at it closely before rattling it.

Something clicked inside. I placed the treasure into my bag then felt something nudge me between the legs. A beautiful, sleek female with a long scar up her left side was sliding underneath me, clicking softly as if to tell me to hang on. Once I was gripping on the beautiful dolphin sleekly shot forwards, pulling me gracefully thought the water faster than I could ever swim. I laughed inwardly, grinning as she cut through the water with me on her back.

We leaped out of the water and back in again, however my entry was far less elegant than hers. I rode on her back, gripping onto her dorsal fin as she brought me down to the reef. She nuzzled more oysters and I began to collect them, knowing exactly what I was going to make for Roadblock's family. I took only a few, around five in total then stroked the female dolphin's face in thanks.

The dolphins then swam away for a hunt though the left me feeling giddy and happy with the new memory I knew I would always treasure. Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I couldn't quite make out who it was. That was when I noticed the change in currents. The water was getting more insistent, pulling me further away without me even noticing.

I grabbed onto the extended hand and together we swam with all of our might up to the surface. When we broke free, I stared in shock. The world was changed. The waters were grey and choppy, building higher and higher as lightning flashed with rumbling thunder growling seconds after.

Wind tore against my face, making me squint against the sudden change of weather patterns. Instantly we both swam over to the boat where the others were climbing in. "Come on! Let's get a move on!" Heavy Duty was yelling, reaching over the side to grip my arm. I was pulled in and instantly I tore off my mask and dropped my scuba gear, securing myself to the boat as Heavy helped the last one into the boat. It was Snake.

Swallowing nervously I looked around, gripping my bag of oysters tightly as the waves began to slam into the boat, pushing us further away from the island. The moment Snake was inside Heavy kicked started the engine and we tore around, pushing to get back to safety. The waves cut into the boat, pushing it off the surface before we all slammed back with a violent jolt.

A crack of lightning split the sky and I turned my head to count everyone, frowning against the harsh spit of rain. The second I turned to count Snake, a violent wave threw us high off the ocean's crust and everyone was shaken loose. When I looked up, Snake was gone.

"Snake!" I screamed over the thunder, lurching forwards. Heavy yanked the boat around in a tight circle and we all searched the waves.

"Over there!" Duke bellowed, pointing towards where Snake was struggling to keep up against the waves as they beat him down.

"We can't reach him, the current's too strong, she'll tip over!" Heavy yelled as he struggled to keep the boat upright. "And none of us are strong enough to compete with those waves!"

"Hang on Snake!" Scarlet screamed, desperately looking around. Strong swimmers? I looked down at my hands then up to Snake Eyes who was frantically treading against the waves, trying to flow with them so that he could keep his masked face above water. Strong.

All at once I stood up, dropping my bag of oysters then leaped off the side of the boat, diving into the water. "Robyn! Come back! Robyn what are you going?" I ignored Scarlet's frantic cries as I began to swim towards Snake. Okay brain, I know you think we're still weak, but we're not. We're strong now. We have a new body. We're strong. We can fight these waves! COME ON!

With glowing determination I cut through the waves, my streamline body aided by the wetsuit I wore. Suddenly I felt stronger, like something disconnected in my mind had just clicked into place and everything was just flowing through my body flawlessly, like a purified river.

Snake was dragged down and I peeled my eyes to keep track of him, each stroke getting me closer and closer to him. He resurfaced, went under then stayed down. With a gulp of air I dived down below. It was difficult to see and the salt stung my eyes but I kept them open, hoping to find Snake Eyes. I wish I had echolocation. That would really be useful right now.

When I saw a large shadow not too far from me, I dived for it, racing to catch up as it sunk further under the ripping waves and snatching current. The moment I had Snake in my arms I kicked for the surface. We exploded into the open air and I sucked down a breath, jostling Snake to wake him up.

His head snapped up and instantly he gripped me to him, a hand curling around my head to keep me to his chest as he gasped for air. I shifted beneath him, placing an arm around his waist then began to swim for the boat where everyone was screaming and waving. It was a little more difficult to swim with Snake as he was weak and hardly able to move from being thrown around by the stormy ocean but somehow my body didn't even feel drained. I still had the energy to keep going.

Roadblock tossed out a line and I grabbed it, wrapping it around us both then hugged Snake to me, refusing to let go as I closed my eyes. I thrashed with my powerful legs, helping the others reel us in like half drowned fish until they pulled us safely into the boat. The moment we were in, Heavy powered the boat forwards.

Lifting my head I looked to Snake who was heaving for air, his shoulders shaking slightly as he crouched low, still trying to recover his breath. "Snake?" I said quietly and he looked at me. "Are you okay?" He continued to look at me for a moment before nodding. He reached out to me and my normal reaction was to flinch, so he paused but then touched my shoulder, squeezing it gently in thanks. I offered him a small smile as Scarlet lifted me up and placed her arms around me, hugging me tightly.

"You could have drowned!" She yelled over the storm, her hair plastered to her face. "That was incredibly stupid Robyn!"

"I know! I'm sorry!" I answered, raising my voice a little to be heard. "But I knew I could do it." Scarlet sighed then smiled at me, hugging me again.

"Thanks for saving him."

"Hey, we're more than a team. We're a family." I answered with a smile, curling into Scarlet as I hugged her tightly back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, guess what guys, I have some Snake Eyes/Robyn fluff for you! Haha, about time too, I think. Thanks for all the reviews, if you like this story then you might enjoy my other completed GI Joe story, _Wind Master_, go check it out! Thanks again, bye!**

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I sat cross legged in my room with a knife, trying to work it into the oysters I was intent on retrieving the pearls from. However, they weren't playing fair. Although I had the strength, there seemed to be a knack to this that I didn't have, which was frustrating. Once again in my efforts to open the oyster I cut my hand open, causing it to bleed for a few seconds before the skin healed over at an alarming rate.

"Oh come on. Please? I really want to make something for Roadblock's girls." I said to the oyster. "Please open for me?" After a moment I growled. "Fine. Give me the silent treatment. See if I care." Returning to my efforts I concentrated. I concentrated so hard that I almost missed the knock on my door. "Come in Scarlet."

The door opened and when I looked up with a smile, I blinked. It wasn't Scarlet. "Oh, hello Snake Eyes." I said to him then looked down to my oyster before blushing. "I'm…trying to open them." Snake sat down opposite me then gently took both my knife and the oyster. He twisted it a few times before the shells clicked open. "How do you do that?" I frowned. "I've tried to open it for nearly an hour!"

Snake picked up another then shifted closer, extending his hand to show me. I watched carefully. He sort of worked it open at a specific point, almost like he was picking a lock. Now I understood. He opened the second for me then held out the knife for me to continue. He picked up the two pearls, looking at them closely before turning to me. I blushed again.

"I'm not keeping them. I'm going to make a wind chime." I explained to him. "With shells and pearls." Snake continued to look at me. "For Block's girls. I wanted to make them something. I used to make things all the time as a kid and I wanted to try something new, in case it helped me remember some more." Snake nodded his head but continued to sit there, watching me. He looked through my shells curiously and I shifted uncomfortably. At least the salty aroma from the shells masked the smell of his leather. It was the mask that unnerved me still though. "Did you want to talk about something?" Snake nodded his head then made a few signs with his hands. "I…I don't understand." I told him gently, feeling like a fool. "I'm sorry. I'll try and learn some by the time I get back."

Snake's shoulders shook a little and I watched him before smiling a little. "Are you laughing at me?" He lifted a hand then made a so-so gesture. "I must seem a little ridiculous. A grown woman sitting on the floor with all these pretty shells all around her." Snake shook his head then touched his chest before pointing to me. I still wasn't too sure what he meant so I tried to guess.

"You think I'm…" He picked up a pearl then showed it to me before pointing to me again. "Small?" He laughed again. "Round? Hey, that's not nice." This time I chuckled with him. Taking a deep breath I looked at the pearl, its pure whiteness gleaming. "Nice?" Snake paused before shrugging. "Close enough, I'm guessing." He nodded his head then carefully put the pearl down. I struggled with the last one, which was a little smaller than the others and just as tightly clamped together.

Snake helped me open that one and I sighed with relief. "Thanks Snake." He nodded his head then made one more sign. I knew that one, at least. "Thank you? Why are you thanking me?" He then made a little swimming motion. "Oh, that. Don't worry about it Snake. I'm just glad you're alright. You worried me for a while." Snake didn't move, just watched me as if trying to figure me out. Taking a nervous breath I continued. "I know I'm not the easiest of students or people and I know I haven't been very polite around you so, I'm sorry for that. It's nothing you've done, Snake Eyes. I hope you know that." He nodded his head gently then held out the knife to me.

Carefully I took it from him and when our hands brushed, I bit my lip. He got up to leave but I spoke without thinking. "Wait." He turned back to me. "Hold on." I went to my dresser then reached out for the oyster and pearl, the first one Snake had opened for me. I picked it up then brought it to him. "I realise it's a little…well. It's not your kind of thing but I want you to have it. A peace offering."

Gently I closed the oyster's lid then placed it in his hands with the pearl tucked safely inside. At that moment I got a strange, new smell. Over all the salt and underlying tone of leather, I found a soft scent which made me inhale it discreetly. It was Snake's scent.

Okay, so this slightly freaked me out but at the same time, I couldn't help but want to keep on inhaling it. It knocked out the leather completely, I couldn't even smell it anymore. Was I turning into a dog? Would I start sensing people's emotions now?

Snake took my gift then bowed his head, reaching out to carefully squeeze my arm as a goodbye before leaving my room. I looked down at my floor then placed my hands on my hips. "Right." Clearing away the shells I placed the pearls away somewhere safe to continue later since I was hungry and my clock was assuring me that it was lunch time.

With my thumbs hooked into my pockets I walked towards the mess hall, wondering what was on the menu today. I hoped there was some steak, I really fancied a steak today. Suddenly I became aware of a group of mechanics rushing past me, panicked looks on their faces so I stopped, frowning as I watched them hurry around the corner to the main hanger.

Not two seconds later another pair raced after them from down the other corridor, their skin pale and their eyes wide. What was going on? Putting my dinner on hold I followed, jogging down the hallways whilst straining to listen.

Among the panic stricken shouts I heard the groaning of metal and clank of it breaking in the distance. My pace increased and soon I was shooting forwards, catching up with the technicians to see what was happening and what was making the noise.

The moment I stepped into the main hanger, my face dropped in horror and my mouth gaped wide open. A crane was spinning out of control, sparks flying from the booth as the cargo swung wildly, the metal cylinders threatening to spill free as the buckles began to snap.

"Get out of there!" Someone yelled and people began to bolt but I remained rooted to the spot, staring at the crane then looked to a group of men and women running away from the danger. I stared as one of the women tripped and fell, crying out as she twisted her ankle awkwardly, bringing tears to her eyes. "Grayson! Get yourself out of there!" I blinked, jumping with a start at Hawk's shouted command and I pulled back, half intending to leave but the woman remained on the floor, struggling to her feet.

The buckle snapped and one of the cylinders rolled free. Without thinking I pelted forwards as the woman lay on the ground, frozen in shock. "Robyn!" Scarlet shrieked but I ignored her, leaping forwards then stood over the woman, looking up and opening my arms. I had no idea if I could take the weight, for all I knew I would collapse and break under the construction piece and crush the woman I was standing over along with me. That would end us both in the medical wing for a good couple of months. Well, her at least.

When the weight slammed into my shoulder, I let out a scream. One knee buckled but then I held firm, teetering with the awkward balance but I refused to allow this woman to be crushed, I wouldn't allow it. Not on my life. As my shoulder ripped under the pressure I felt it knit back together which was a gross tingling warmth that spread across my flesh.

Somehow I managed to keep the cylinder upright, the back end hitting the ground and vibrations shot up through the metal, making my entire body shake as I grunted, my stance lowering before I tossed the metal cylinder aside then grabbed the woman, lifting her up into my arms. "You okay?" I asked but she just stared at me with wide eyes. "Guess so." I shrugged then hurriedly tossed her into the arms of someone else.

"Duck!" Everyone hit the deck as the cargo came swinging past and I felt a rush of breeze shoot up my spine.

"Sever the cargo!" Hawk ordered. "Cut the power to that crane!" Though apparently the wiring was completely shot, the guy in the booth was trapped and couldn't regain control of the machine, it was totally out of control. What the hell had happened to it?

"Go!" I heard someone bellow and the last of us raced for safety except me. I stayed back. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Hell I don't know. Probably. As I faced the crane the cargo was severed by the last of the buckles giving way. The cylinders clanged to the ground with thunderclaps, bounding towards me so I kicked off the ground, yelping as my feet scrambled madly to leap from hold to hold, arms waving wildly to keep balance before I took one final jump and caught onto the chain. The crane had already ripped through the wall, shattering it to rubble but my main concern was for the guy in the booth, which was now on fire. "Grayson! What the hell are you thinking?" I'll explain later Hawk, right now I'm trying to come up with a plan.

Gripping onto the chain as I swung, I couldn't help but grin. Considering the danger I was in, this was kind of fun! I let out a hoot then swung my legs forwards, guiding myself up towards the rafters, solid beams of metal crossing over one another to support the roof. It took guts and I was now terrified beyond belief but somehow I managed to twist and loop myself around a beam, still holding onto the chain. As the crane pulled away the chain went taut and I turned, planting my feet against the flat surface, hanging off the side as I growled, clenching my face in effort as I held the chain. When the crane jerked to a halt, I cried out as my arms were wrenched but I held on, anchoring myself down as slowly, it began to grate against me, shuddering as it tried to fight back but I was stubborn and wasn't going to let it go, not for anything.

Some Joes tried to run forwards to get the guy out of the booth. Snarling slightly I tied up the chain as best I could before gripping onto the longer length, letting myself slide down before dropping. I landed on a cylinder, the clang echoing beneath me and I wavered briefly before leaping forwards. One guy wrestled with the door but it was locked fast. What the hell? I don't understand any of this, had the crane come alive and decided on human annihilation or something?

Shoving the other guy aside I gripped the handle then ripped the door off altogether, grabbing the man in the seat and tearing off his seatbelt, his body slumping forwards. As the fire licked at the controls I slid him over my shoulder, quickly drawing him out then handed him over into the care of someone else. "Robyn get away from there!" Scarlet shouted as I climbed in. "What are you doing?"

"Shutting it down." I answered hotly, clenching my fist then buried it into the control panel. There was a great whirring sound and I felt heat, sparks and pain shoot up my hand but it quickly subsided and I hardly felt it in the first place. The crane slowly died away, going still and silent as I destroyed the connections. Yanking my hand free I abandoned all grace and leaped from the booth as the flames roared in my face, singing my clothes and I hardly hit the floor before my world exploded.

Light and heat flushed around me and I covered my head, sensing the inferno rise behind me as the crane blew up. Glass shattered and bits of metal flew everywhere, clanging to the ground loudly and I felt the vibrations run through the ground. When I find out who started this madness, I'm going to kill them. "Robyn!" Scarlet cried out to me in fear but I remained still, coughing slightly on the hot fumes that scratched at my throat.

When there was silence I remained still, unsure whether or not it was safe to lift my head but when the pounding of feet and pumping of water entered my head, I pushed myself up and blinked, shaking out the loud ringing in my ears as Scarlet leaped onto me. "You crazy, insane, brainless…argh!" I smiled into her as I wrapped my arms around her, sighing with relief. When she pulled back, she arched an eyebrow. "You know, that was actually pretty amazing."

"Thanks. Didn't feel amazing." I rubbed the back of my head guiltily with a slight blush before inclining my head behind me. "Want to tell me what the hell happened?"

"No idea, I just answered the distress siren someone set off." Scarlet replied and we both turned as the rest of our team came running over.

"Are you hurt?" Block instantly demanded, gripping my shoulder with one hand and forcing my head back with the other to look into my eyes. "No bleeding? No impalements or faintness?" I arched an eyebrow at him then smiled.

"I'm fine, Block, don't worry." He rolled his eyes then pulled me into a one armed hug, ruffling my hair.

"Scared us little Robyn." He told me. "Thought we were going to have a new type of Christmas bird for dinner." I shot him a filthy look before grinning. Rip and Duke dragged me from Roadblock's hug to embrace me themselves, demanding to know where I was hurt and it took me a while to convince them I was fine. "Grayson." I winced visibly then turned around to face Hawk.

"Sir." I nodded my head and waited for the reprimand which was bound to be coming. He glanced me over, assessing for any injuries before turning his stern eyes to mine and I braced myself for the tongue lashing.

"You did good." He finally said then walked away, starting his orders for the clean-up. I sighed with relief.

"Thank God. I thought I was done for." I turned to Duke who grinned down at me then gently knuckled my chin, making me grin in return.

"That was an awesome catch." Rip said, his hands touching his head then spreading out as his mind was metaphorically blown. "You were like, She-Hulk or something, totally catching it with one arm and then you just threw it aside but then you were like this Spiderman-woman thing crawling over those cylinders then you switched back to She-Hulk with the chain thing but then, you totally like ripped the door off and you pummelled right through the control panel!" Rip babbled, totally impressed by my apparent superhero status. "We should give you a superhero name!"

"No, Rip, just no." Duke shook his head, one hand gently resting against my shoulder as I listened to Rip's enthusiasm. "Please don't."

"Yeah! Then we can get you a cute little suit and a cape and you can save the world all on your own and become stinking rich then you'll be set for life." I chuckled, folding my arms across my chest.

"You are not putting me in a little leotard and miniskirt just for me to parade around practically butt naked to do a job I do anyway." Slinging my arms around Duke and Scarlet's neck, I grinned. "Besides, who'd want to fly solo when I have my team backing me up?" Rip pouted.

"But we could call you something really call like…Mute." I arched an eyebrow at him. "You know, because you're mutated? Pretty smart? Or how about Obliterator? Or Hammer Fist? No wait! I got it!" Everyone arched their eyebrows at him as Rip spread his hands through the air as if lighting up the name in gold letters and bright lights. "Spider-Hulk." Wow. Just wow.

"Rip?" Duke cut off his best friend with a dead pan look. "Just stop. Please. Before you embarrass yourself." Rip grinned, spreading his hands with a shrug.

"I'm just saying." Chuckling I shook my head then looked over to where the injured people were being treated. The guy in the booth had been stretchered out of here to treat his burns but the woman with the sprained ankle was sat on some plastic crates not too far away. I squeezed Duke's hand then stepped away, my eyes fixed on her.

As I approached I smiled warmly, glancing down to her ankle. "Hey, not too badly hurt I hope?" I said to her and her head snapped around. "Are you okay?" I took another step forwards but she leaped up, hobbling on one foot with wide eyes. I frowned slightly in confusion.

"Keep away from me, freak." Now I flinched. Freak? That's all she could see? "Just stay away." Gaping at her I was lost for words, unsure of how to react. A part of me was furious. I'd saved her a whole world of pain, she should be damn grateful! The other part of me couldn't blame me. I had just caught a load of heavy ass metal and tossed it aside as if it were nothing more than a sandbag. I would be pretty freaked out too if I'd seen someone else do the same thing. The insult still stung though.

Curling into myself I nodded my head, looking down at my feet before turning away. I headed for the stairs to go back to my room so that I could continue my wind chime, food no longer appealed to me. I got about halfway down the corridor when I heard someone following. "Robyn." Storm's clean cut voice chased after me so I stopped and turned, unable to look him in the eye as I continued to hug myself. Storm continued to walk to me, his steps fairly quiet compared to the average man. I didn't look up at him until he stood directly in front of me. "I heard what she said." Blushing I looked away again but Storm gripped my shoulder firmly. "She's wrong." Nodding my head silently I then looked to the tear in his jacket, right at the seam of his shoulder.

"Sorry about that." I said to him and he glanced to it before shrugging.

"It was a good throw." I blinked in surprised, arching an eyebrow. Did Storm just praise me? Touching a finger to his lips Storm moved around me and continued in his direction. "If you wish to continue training, Snake Eyes and I will be in the dojo." Swallowing I glanced back to where I had come from, the direction towards my room and then to where Storm had just disappeared.

Knowing I was going to regret my decision later, I followed after Storm.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for dropping by, glad you guys are sticking around ;)**

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I stood outside Roadblock's house, practically jumping with excitement. The moment the door was flung open, two beautiful little girls leaped out. "Daddy!" They cried and Block caught them both in his arms, laughing. They looked up over his shoulder and I gave them a little wave. "Daddy, who's that?" They asked.

"This is Robyn. She's going to stay with us for a few days and help look after you two." Instantly I was pounced upon. The taller one, Poppy, grabbed me by the arm and started to pull me inside.

"Come on! Come on let's go and play!" The smaller girl who had her hair in braids, laughed and was pushing on my back. This was Daisy, the one who always wore pink. Block laughed as he left me to the mercy of his girls, though I pretty soon had then wrapped around my little finger. When I showed them the present their "daddy" had made for them, they all squealed and sat there for ages just admiring it as I hung it up in their window and made pretty sounds. The shells all neatly polished and varnished hung on fine thread, the metal pipes I had cleaned and shortened to varied lengths chiming against the centrepiece of wood which Block had carved into a smoothed circle with a dolphin engraved into it.

The pearls had been a little more difficult but I eventually managed to thread them on as well, catching the light as the music played softly. "Isn't your daddy the best?" I laughed as they jumped up and down. "Maybe you should go and say thank you to him?" Instantly they were hammering down the stairs and leaping back onto their dad with cries of thank yous'.

Block looked up and mouthed a thanks to me. I grinned at him. So after a full day of entertaining the children, I sat down with them on the sofa, Block wearing his bunny slippers, to watch a Disney movie. I was happier than I could ever remember being. The girls eventually fell asleep so I helped Millie, their mom, put them to bed.

"My husband says only the best about you. Is it true you lost your memory?" She asked gently as she shut the door behind her.

"Yeah. I was in an accident. It's okay though, I'm beginning to remember things." I explained to her, bending the truth a little. "Thanks for letting me stay, I know it was a little last minute."

"Not at all, he told me that you had nowhere else to stay and I couldn't just turn you out, could I? Anyone who fights for the country is welcome in my house. How about some more of that barbequed chicken?" I liked this lady already.

The next day Roadblock took Millie out for the day after I insisted he went. The girls were all too eager to spend some time with me, practically shoving their parents out the door. We had water fights in the garden, sang karaoke on their machine. It kinda stung to know that two kids only aged ten and eight could sing better than you could. Oh well, its karaoke.

We then played my favourite game. Clean the house before the monster ate you. I was the monster. I helped them tidy away their toys to surprise their parents then we went out to the park where I pushed them on the swings until they were giggling nonstop. "You can take us to our dance lesson later!" Poppy said as I pushed them on the round-about.

"You both go to dance class?" I asked with a smile. "What kind?"

"Ballet." Daisy told me. "I go to ballet but Poppy goes to street dance." I grinned at them both.

"I used to dance." Wait, what?

"Really?" They both gasped then grinned at me. "Show us!" I don't remember dancing but I knew it was true. I just knew it.

"Maybe later, when no one else is around." I told them then heard the ice cream truck approaching. "What say you we get some ice cream?" The dancing idea quickly went out of their head. We walked back home with the ice creams, the girls both holding my hands as I didn't want anyone to get any ideas about snatching them from me. Yeah, I was a little protective of them but hey, they were adorable! I loved them already. Block and Millie were back before us and I was glad I had left a note telling them where we were.

"Mom! Robyn bought us ice cream!" Daisy said. "And she said she'll come watch us dance later!"

"Really? That's nice of her." Millie said, beaming. "Did you clean up the entire house for us?"

"Surprise!" We all chorused.

"Although, the plan was to get back before you." I blushed sheepishly. "I got distracted by the swings." Roadblock laughed then ruffled my hair.

"You take good care of them. Better than Duke. You know, he once looked after them for a whole weekend and when I got back, I was pretty sure he had dropped a bomb in this place." He said to me as he began to pack the girls' bags for dance. He was just the best. "Both of them were hyperactive and literally climbing up the walls whilst he was knocked out on the floor."

"Ouch, what happened there?" Block grinned.

"Daisy hit him on the head with a lamp." I burst out laughing. Once we'd had a light snack to eat, Millie got the girls ready before we all walked down to the dance studio. Daisy's lesson was first so we all sat and watched, Poppy playing quietly on her phone but occasionally looked up just to check on her "annoying" sister, as she called her. I knew she loved her really. The longer I watched the little children dance the more I began to remember. I had used to dance in school when I was a kid and even went to an afterschool troupe where we had learned all kinds of styles of dancing.

Daisy was a great ballerina, even as a young girl she had great posture, alignment and was faster at picking things up than the others. In her little leotard, I could imagine her with a pink tutu and twirling for the President himself in a grand theatre.

When class was over she danced over to me with a bright grin. "How was I?"

"I think you're going to make a great dancer one day." I said to her. "Is that what you want to be?" She shook her head.

"No. I want to be a doctor so I can save people's lives." She was just too cute. Millie helped her change whilst Block and I took Poppy to her lesson. She wore casual clothes with enough room to dance in but when we got there, there seemed to be a problem.

There were kids of all ages arguing in the room, the parents trying to coax the younger ones away. "What's going on?" Poppy asked a girl around her height and age.

"Tony has just sent Alex a message. Apparently he's not coming today." Popp's jaw dropped open.

"But the competition is in a week! We don't even have a proper dance routine yet, we're all over the place!" I could sense the distress in Poppy's voice and suddenly I could smell her worry. It was kind of freaky but I brushed it aside.

"What do you mean you don't have a proper dance set?" I asked her, frowning as the others all went silent then looked at me.

"Toby kept on changing his mind about the routine. We're dancing in a competition where the prize money is given to our dance studio and, as you can tell, we desperately need it." The girl who had spoken was right. The studio needed new mirrors, new plastering in the walls and there was definitely some plumbing to be done.

Glancing around all the panicked faces I clapped my hands then took off my jacket, tossing it to Block who blinked in surprise. "Alright, show me what you've got so far." I called then went to stand at the top of the studio, folding my arms.

Some of the kids jumped into position but a few of the older ones just looked at me. "What are you doing?"

"Taking your dance class. If you have a competition in only a week then we have to get moving. So hurry up! Time is precious." They jumped to it. One of the girls started the music then hurried into place. I watched them all closely. All of them had talent, that much was clear but they were all over the place.

The lines didn't work with the timing so they often bumped into one another. The movements were at best, poorly choreographed as they didn't build with the music or even accent the beat. I was horrified by the lack of attention. "Alright stop, we're going to go back to square one." I cut the music and everyone looked at me. "Look, you're all talented but you're not feeling the music." I said then went towards them. "Everyone find a space. Good." Roadblock kicked back then looked at me carefully. "Alright, watch me and I'll keep the count. First we're going to loosen up. You're all wound up like corkscrews." So I put them through the paces.

We loosened up then I began to choreograph a new dance routine. Thankfully it only had to be one entry so I could focus entirely on making this the best dance these guys would ever dance. I asked them to improvise from time to time, seeing what they could do before adding their own flair into it.

I added the new flavours in, incorporating everyone's unique abilities into the routine to show real unification and their quality talent. Although we only had an hour of dance, by break time we had worked through half of the song.

"Alright, take a break, drink some water then we'll pick up again in five." I called and everyone all bounced off to the sides, grinning with excitement. I walked over to Block with one hand on Poppy's shoulder as she jumped on the spot.

"Did you see that? Isn't Robyn great?" She was practically panting for breath so I handed her a bottle of water and she guzzled it down greedily.

"Hey slow down or we'll be seeing it again later." I grinned at her.

"How come you never told us you could dance like that?" Roadblock demanded with a smile, Daisy sitting on his knee.

"I only just remembered today." I answered with a shrug before turning to Millie. "You're a dancer, aren't you?" She blushed a little.

"How did you guess?"

"Well…the girls don't get their dancing skills from Block now, do they?"

"Hey!"

"The point is, you've got talented girls. I think you should help with the class then take over from this Toby guy. He sounds like his heart isn't in it, I think you could do way better." After a little bit of persuading I called for everyone to come back to the dance floor then pulled Millie up with me.

"Alright guys, this is Millie. She's going to help me finish this dance then take over your lessons from Toby. When he comes back, you tell him straight that he's out of the picture." They all nodded in agreement.

"Petunia was going to fire him soon anyway. She's the one who owns the building." The dancer called Alex informed me. Something slammed into my memory and I could see an elderly lady huddled before a fire, wearing no gloves and only a thin scarf and coat against the cold. Petunia. I knew her. That lady was called Petunia.

I wavered on my feet for a second but then snapped out of it. Roadblock was now watching me carefully. "Okay, let's run it through from the top. I want you all to think about what else you want in this dance. Remember, you're only going to perform well if you like what it is you're performing." So we ran it through. Millie whispered suggestions to me and I nodded my head, taking note of what she was saying.

By the end of the session we had a great deal done. These guys were fast learners. Millie had pointed out things that could work better, helped continue the steps and also helped the younger ones with fast movements that they needed to learn. By the end, I was shattered mentally. My mind was reeling with memories from the stage under hot lights to the freezing cold outdoors next. I needed to get some sleep.

Although Poppy and Daisy wanted to play some more and practice dancing with me, I told them that I needed to take a little nap to make my head better before I could help them. The sweet little angels tucked me into my bed then brought me some water and painkillers as well as some lavender oil which they gently rubbed onto my head before leaving me alone. Bless their little hearts.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for all da reviewing guys, really glad you're liking the story! Remember if you like what you're reading here, there is another completed story for GI. Joe, _Wind Master_, go check it out ;)**

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Our days of fun were cut short when Roadblock got a call from the nest. He looked up at me and nodded. "We'll be there."

"What's happened?"

"Breaker's managed to crack the code. He's tracing for more signals like it. We're onto him." He said quietly then turned to Millie to explain as much as he could to her. They girls were reluctant to let me go, they both clung onto my waist and begged me to stay.

"But you need to help us finish the dance!" Poppy cried. "We need you!"

"You have your mom to help you. She's an amazing dancer so you're in safe hands. I promise to come back. I'll even bring Uncle Duke with me." That got them a deal. They would let me go if I promised to bring Duke back with me next time I visited.

The jet was waiting for us at the nearest Military base so we climbed on and waited anxiously all the way back to the island. "What else did Breaker say?"

"The signal is just as you explained it. It transmits orders through the impulses to target genes and triggers them to mutate. He's pretty sure that he can find more signals like it, he only needs time." I nodded my head then cracked my knuckles.

"One more thing." I looked to Roadblock who sighed. "They've kidnapped Anna and all the other inmates of the prison she was in." My blood ran cold.

* * *

The moment we touched down I was off and running towards the others. Duke looked distraught with worry so I quickly pulled him into a hug. "She's going to be okay." I promised him softly and he nodded his head though the strain did not disappear from his face.

"What's our status?" Block asked the moment he had caught up.

"We're still working on that signal. Nothing yet." Scarlet said to us. "Come on. We're all waiting." Someone else took our bags so I followed Scarlet to the bridge where Breaker was busy tracing all signals to find a match. He looked up, chewing on some gum then smiled.

"Welcome back."

"Hey Breaker. Any luck?"

"None so far."

"Robyn, it's good to see you again." Heavy nodded his head in greeting then went to the central table where the holographic images began to play the video feed of the attack. "This is all we have left of what happened. They came in hard and fast. They took everyone, including Anna." Duke flinched. "Our mission is to find out what Cobra is planning. He's going for something, though we don't know what."

"He's using them." I realised. "He's figured out that people on the streets don't have the strength to survive his testing, so he's taken men and women who will." They all looked to me. "What? I'm not as dumb as I look." I walked up to the screen the pulled up some files. "There's Anna, he probably just wanted his sister out of there and back under his control." I reasoned then flicked through some more files before pulling up. "Terrorists, criminals, traitors, they're all people who are permanent threats to the state. You think he didn't just select this prison at random? Cobra wanted his trials to work. He's planning to make an army."

"An army of superhuman mutants." Rip mused then cursed. "Great."

"If I'm right then I'm guessing that Cobra isn't going to be silent about taking over the country anymore. He's going to do it with a loud voice." I continued, searching through the database. "His money has to come from somewhere, so it means he has to be financed by someone." I pressed then pulled up files of the richest men and women in the world with shady backgrounds. "So, if we find out who the one behind the bucks is…" I stared ahead of me.

"Robyn? What's wrong?" I blinked, shaking myself awake before selecting a profile.

"That's her." I informed them, glaring at the brunette woman with a sharply hooked nose.

"How do you know?"

"I saw her." I remembered her clearly. She had been standing a little way off from where the Commander had been working on me. She had had a sickly smile on her face. The same smirk she wore now as she stared down at me. "She was there during the…" I trailed off then looked down, retreating back into my shell.

"It's okay Robyn." Duke said to me, placing a strong arm around me. "You've done good."

"I'll say." Hawk's powerful voice stated as he walked onto the bridge. "Scarlet, you and Snake Eyes start rooting around this woman's history. Find out everything about her. I want to know everyone she's talked to from kindergarten onwards." They hopped to it. "The rest of you, standby for immediate action."

"Come on Robyn, we've got a surprise for you." Ripcord grinned and he and Duke led me away. I followed them until I was standing in my room, looking at the suit which was attached onto a mannequin. It looked very similar to Scarlet's, practically identical in fact. It was amazing.

"Wicked!" I grinned then stepped around, taking it in from all angles. "I can't wait to get suited up." Thankfully I didn't have to wait long. Breaker got a hit. Only, in the middle of the night. I was jerked awake by my alarm, signalling it was mission time.

"Oh crap!" I hissed then leaped forwards, suiting up within a minute before racing to join the others as Breaker raced at us from the other way.

"I got it! I got it! He's…he's in the Pit!"

"The bloody cheek!" Heavy snarled as he grabbed a heavy looking gun. "Come on boys, let's lay down some bass!" I later learned that that was his favourite saying. I hurried towards our ride, the jet already fired up and ready to go, Rip at the controls.

I got there the same moment Snake did but he stepped back and gestured for me to go first. I gave him a bright, genuine smile for the first time before climbing up. Even though we were in a hurry, Snake still had time to be a gentleman. When I got on Scarlet turned to me. "You're going to need these." She handed me a pair of handguns which I strapped to my legs then nodded to her, pulling back my hair into a ponytail.

"To be fair, it's the last place we would have thought to look." Breaker mused as he continued to track the signal. "It's quite clever."

"Kinda stings though." Roadblock reasoned as he cracked his knuckles continuously. The other jets all followed our lead as Heavy laid out the plan. I listened intently to every word, engraving it on my mind as I knew that stealth and secrecy was vital in this mission. We were to go in radio silent on foot in teams.

Scarlet with Duke and Breaker, Storm with Roadblock, Heavy with Rip and air support and then finally, me and Snake Eyes. Heavy Duty looked up to me sincerely. "Are you going to be alright with this mission?"

"Yes. I'll be fine." I promised him.

"You realise you might run into Cobra Commander, you can't afford to flinch in this." I nodded my head.

"Gives me a chance to return the favour he gave me." I told him surely. "I won't flinch." Heavy nodded but looked to Snake.

"Make sure you look after her." Snake Eyes nodded then placed a warm hand on my shoulder. I smiled at him then returned to my seat. Since it was a long way to the Pit I caught up on my interrupted sleep. It was a little hard considering I wasn't in the most comfortable of places. I wished I were a little warmer in my nice, soft, comfortable bed and not flying to my possible death. Oh well. Such is life.

"You and Snake seem to be alright now." Scarlet said quietly to me an hour or so later. She looked at me with a soft smile as I shrugged.

"Him nearly drowning was a great bonding activity for us." I answered simply as I wriggled slightly in my seat.

"Are your over your fear?" I paused for a minute before sighing softly.

"I don't know." Thankfully Scarlet left it there and I did my best to try and sleep some more. When we pulled down, however, I knew that it was time. Scarlet helped me into the gear I needed to abseil as Snake did the same. We were the first team to go in before we would signal the others.

It included trekking across a few miles of the desert though since Ripcord had to keep out of range of the radar. Good thing it was night time. Snake stepped out first then nodded to me. "See you guys later. Snake says bye." I smiled then followed him out into the darkness.

For a while I struggled to see until all at once, my eyes adjusted to the light. "Watch out, there's a snake!" I whispered fearfully then dragged Snake Eyes out of the way. "No pun intended." I finished as the hissing snake slithered away from where Snake Eyes had just about to step on it. He patted my shoulder then continued forwards.

At one point we were separated since we were groping around in darkness. The night vision goggles we were given didn't work after a certain distance, which meant that Cobra had installed a disturbance device, meaning all equipment was useless. I knew I couldn't speak otherwise sensors might pick up the sound so I used my highly alert sense of hearing, smell and my strangely night adjusted eyes to find Snake Eyes who was trying to do the same.

I gently took his hand and held onto it tightly, pulling him forwards to guide him. We travelled the distance quickly before finally, we were there. The base was certainly quiet, save for the few guards posted on the outside carrying guns.

My hand still gripped Snake's and I shifted closer to him, trying to see a way in but he was already moving, pulling me along with him. We waited and waited until I was beginning to wonder what he was waiting for. The ground opened up beneath us.

Snake grabbed me and yanked me back from the edge, pulling us down into the sand as a jet lifted up from within the opening, humming with high pitched thrums before shooting away into the distance. Quickly Snake got off of me and pulled me forwards, running to the edge.

Together we jumped down then turned, shooting our cables up and they attached to the side of the heliport, breaking our fall and gently lowering us down. The moment we were inside we reeled in our lines then slipped through the airfield, listening for any patrols coming our way. Snake pointed up to the control room and I nodded my head, understanding.

He made his way up there, climbing the frame work with spider-like skills as I covered him, ears peeled for anyone coming our way. Everything was quiet, except for when Snake broke into the control room. There was a few bumps and yelps of surprise before I heard the port opening up overhead. Glancing to Snake I activated my beacon, homing in the other teams.

It wasn't long until the airfield was full of our jets, bringing in the cavalry as Snake returned to my side. "Good work." Roadblock said to us, a rather large gun in hand. "Let's move." Still in our teams everyone split off. Snake had his katana drawn and both my guns were out and ready, my ears listening. As we neared a corner I stopped, placing a hand on Snake's shoulder to pull him back and turn him to face me.

I touched a finger to my lips then gestured my head around the corner. Snake nodded then pressed into the wall, waiting. When the pair of Cobra guards walked passed, completely oblivious to us, I led the way forwards to where I was picking up the sound of hundreds of voices all at once.

We went deeper and deeper down until I was sure there couldn't be anymore stairs to go. Thankfully there weren't. On the other hand, I was not prepared for what I saw. I stared at the tanks, all containing people locked in sleep, rows upon rows of them all lining the walls. I could smell the metal in their bodies, making the back of my jaw zing with the taste. It was disgusting. "Snake, they've all been injected with the chip." I whispered to him quietly. "What do we do?" He tapped his ear and I nodded.

"Heavy we've got a problem. We're too late. Cobra has already injected the chip into what looks like all the inmates of the prison break."

"Can you see Anna?" Both Snake and I looked around.

"Negative." There was a small pause before Heavy answered.

"Is there any way of shutting the system down?"

"Maybe, if Scarlet and Breaker got down here." I replied. "I haven't got a clue what I'm doing."

"Alright, hold tight. We're sending your location to Scarlet and Breaker." And that was it. Looking around I felt sorry for these people. Sure, they were bad guys but their life was now over. They were under the control of a criminal mastermind.

"I wondered how long it would be until you found your way home, Subject Forty-Three." I whirled around at the sound of the voice, colour draining from my face as jolts of fear shot up my spine. "It was inevitable."

"Snake…" I whispered and instantly his arms were around me, assuring me that I was alright.

"Of course, I knew you would lead the Joes here. Just like I programmed you." Instantly I was confused and furious.

"I'd never lead them to you!" I snarled aloud. "I am not programmed! I'm not a machine!"

"Oh but you are. You see, the chip was only the beginning of your genetic mutation." His voice drifted around me and I began to grow colder with every word. "I planted instincts in your mind, patterns which would leave a trace signal to lead back here. I thank you for your loyalty. It's a shame you had to run away before I could finish perfecting you."

I'd had enough. I took my gun and shot a single bullet at the loudspeaker, cutting his voice off. Whirling around I faced Snake. "I didn't lead you here. I didn't. Please Snake Eyes, please believe me." In answer he touched my face which strangely calmed me down. He pulled me forwards, inclining his head that we had to run.

We raced back up the way we came, flying over the steps with me in the lead, Cobra's voice still vibrating in my mind. Then I heard battle. "Snake, he knew we were coming. The others are all fighting." I explained to him. "They're to the east." He drew his katana blade and instantly moved to where I had directed him, straining my ear to listen.

We ran around a corner but skidded to a halt as we stood face to face with Cobra Commander himself. "Good evening, Subject Forty-Three. It's good to see you so…improved." I spat at him mentally. How dare he use that word! My weapons were already up and pointing to him and at his guards who all stood beside him. "I'd like to be the first to congratulate you on surviving my little experiment. You weren't meant to. In fact, you were the key to its perfection."

"I want to hear nothing from you." I snapped at him as Snake Eyes turned, facing the new enemy cobras as they poured in from all angles.

"A pity. Still, I think you would like to at least see this." He held out his hand and I looked to where he was gesturing. My eyes widened in shock. A girl stood in the doorway, with black silky hair and dark eyes that glittered. Her smooth skin was richly toned but her face was hard and emotionless. She looked dead. Lifeless.

"Sabrina?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Oh no...what's going to happen? Dun, dun, DUN!**

* * *

When she didn't answer, I spoke a little louder. "Sabrina." Still she didn't even bat an eyelid. "What did you do to her?" I demanded.

"The same I did to you, only, I first injected an old project of mine. Nanomites are very useful little creatures. Once her pain receptors were shut off she was able to go through with the transformations. Very unique, though, I've began adding new twists to the alterations. Adding new DNA." That was when I saw her tail.

It flicked to the side lazily, perfectly calm and at ease. She also had claws instead of nails and her feet were oddly shaped, it took me a moment to realise she had cat feet. "You're a monster!" I snarled at Cobra Commander as he laughed.

"I prefer the term scientific genius." He turned and began to walk away. "Destroy them." Sabrina hissed, baring her sharp fangs then leaped at me. I moved so fast that before she had even covered half of the distance towards us, I had shot open the window beside us, shattering the glass then thrown Snake Eyes through and turned to face Sabrina.

Together we tumbled down, flying through the window as she tried to claw and bite me. Several scratches were made on my face but my suit protected me everywhere else. We hit the ground hard with me turning to take the blow, not wanting to hurt Sabrina. "Sabrina listen to me, this isn't you. It's me! Robyn! Don't you remember me?" When she went to claw open my throat, I twisted, kicked up my leg then flung her off. "I guess not."

Suddenly she was streaking forwards, racing on the wall with catlike grace and balance, jumping from crate to crate as she tried to reach Snake Eyes. I refused to shoot her, I couldn't. I could save her. Instead I picked up a heavy looking piece of scrap metal and flung it at her.

She yowled as she was thrown of balance, allowing Snake Eyes to drop down to the ground off of his cable hook then ran for cover as streams of magnetic pulses were fired from the guns above. I ducked out of the way, crawling towards a bunch of crates which protected me momentarily. When I heard a sharp hiss I looked up, seeing Sabrina's now glowing amber eyes with narrow slits for pupils as she stared down at me. I was terrified.

Sabrina sprung at me but I lifted both legs and slammed them into her chest, flinging her with my altered strength into the crates, cracking them beneath her. "Snake!" I called and I saw him racing for new cover. I made my way over to him, ducking under the fire then together we raced for the door. It slid open and Snake secured it shut behind us, locking Sabrina in. "I know her. She was taken with me that day…I thought she was dead." I whispered but Snake tugged impatiently at my hand.

Turning my back I abandoned Sabrina and made for where Heavy was calling for backup. When the corridor exploded from underneath us, we were both flung out of balance. I landed on my feet but a sudden rush of Cobra soldiers cut me off from Snake Eyes. I fired my weapons, cutting down the line before springing into action.

Thankfully these guys were just regular humans and I easily outran them, even with their stupid ray guns. Now completely lost, I just kept running. I tried to angle away from the smell of enemy but towards the sound of gunfire where I knew the Joes would be.

It didn't quite work out that way. Without warning I was tackled around the middle with a hiss, Sabrina slamming me into the wall before grabbing me by my ponytail and smashing my head in the wall. "Hello sister." She hissed. "Remember me?"

"Sabrina!" I yelped then placed my hands on the walls, blocking her attack as she attempted to strike the wall with my skull again. "What are you doing? It's me, Robyn."

"The one who abandoned me." She recounted. "Left me for dead!"

"No! No I wouldn't have left you. I thought you were dead. They told me you were dead!" I grunted then stood, turning to flip Sabrina on her back then held her down. "You have to believe me. You're like a sister to me. I can take care of you, we'll get you some help and reverse what Cobra has done to you."

"I don't want any help!" She screamed then slashed her claws along my face. When they healed over, however, she just hissed in irritation. With a powerful kick she struck me from her then lunged at me again. With lightning fast reflexes I grabbed her wrists then spun her around, slamming her into the wall then tried to run for it.

She gave chase, hissing and spitting as she ran on all fours like a cat, tail stood up on end. Ahead of me was a door so I bolted for it, putting as much distance between myself and Sabrina as possible. I reached it and tore it open, standing aside at the last second to allow Sabrina to barrel through.

I slammed the door behind her then flicked the latch down, locking it. She screamed at me through the window, punching through it to try and claw at me. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let you down. I hope you can forgive me." I whispered then fled.

Through the blur of my tears I heard soft calling. It was a woman, afraid. I could smell the fear. She was calling for help. I followed the sound of her voice, sniffing curiously before finally I found the place. Inside the room had been stripped bare. There used to be units but they had been ripped away, the shadows still lurking on the walls. In front of me was a woman with dark hair.

"Anna?" She lifted her head, the rest of her body strapped down to the doctor's bed.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Robyn. I'm here with Duke." I told her, hurrying to her side. I grabbed the equipment which was poised ready to inject her then crushed it between my hands, crumbling them to scrap before picking out the chip that was inserted into the system, ready to be implanted into Anna. I crushed it into dust. In the corner of the room was a single glass case containing a live Cobra. It hissed at me.

"Did he reactivate the nanomites?" I asked her, looking over the data reports.

"No. They're still deactivated." Anna told me as she stood up and worked her hands to get movement back into them. "He said he had to be sure before he could work on me. What did he mean?"

"I'll explain later. For now, I need to get you out of here. Take this." I tossed her a gun and she caught it. "Our rescue mission has gone a little sour." I informed her. "Be prepared to shoot."

"Gladly." She answered, arming it with a fierce expression. Now I understood why Duke loved her. I led the way, glancing down both ways before heading towards the sound of battle. What I found was chaos. The inmates had been activated.

They all had their own freaky mutations. Some were bears, others tigers or lions, there was even a packs of wolves. No bullet could stop them, only bullets straight to the head would take them down. "What is happening? I don't understand." Anna breathed in shock, staring at the twisted figures down below us.

"Duck!" I yelled, grabbing her and forcing her down. The ray beam fired over us and I turned, shooting the soldier who had fired it then picked Anna up. "Heavy, I have Anna. She's safe and unharmed."

"Right. Bring her back to checkpoint. We're getting out of here." I could already see the jets beginning to take off. There wasn't enough time to try and navigate my way there. The fastest way down was down. "Hold on." I advised then lifted Anna up over my shoulder.

She didn't yelp but clung onto me tightly, tucking in tight. I leaped over the side, firing my cable to slow our descent whilst Anna shot at anyone who tried to attack us, clear headshots every time. "I think you and I are off to a great start." I stated with a small grin as we landed. Whipping around I picked up a bull man that had lowered his horns at us. I grabbed one of them with both hands, pulling him around before slamming him into the wall, knocking him out.

"How did you do that?" I swallowed.

"Let's just say, I'm the original." Anna blinked before nodding her head in understanding. Together we ran, guns blazing until both of them clicked, out of ammo. I tossed Anna a mag and we reloaded, both perfectly in time with each other as we continued.

"Anna!" Duke yelled over the gunfire.

"Duke!" She tried to run forwards but I grabbed her and yanked her back just as a ray beam fired at us, almost hitting her. "I hate those guns."

"Didn't you used to have one?" I questioned her, getting back to my feet.

"I liked them then." She replied before shooting again. "This is a mess. What's happening?"

"Well, that's a good question. Don't ask me." I replied. "This was supposed to be secret."

"Someone sold you out?"

"Possibly." I replied before crying out as something hit me from behind. The bear man roared, lifting its grizzly paws to slash into my neck but someone grabbed my legs and yanked me across the floor between the mutant's legs, avoiding the blow as I was pulled away from underneath the mutant bear. I had never been so glad to see Snake.

"Snake! Thank you!" I cried with relief then tackled him to the ground, pushing him out of the way of a pack of wolves as they leaped at us. I shot them all, wounding them and they whimpered, limping away as I yanked Snake to his feet. "Anna?" I yelled, searching for her.

"Over here!" She signalled and instantly I turned. When I saw Cobra Commander standing on the elevated stands, I went perfectly still. I could tell he was looking right at me. The way my spine shivered was enough to tell me that. I wanted to shoot him but I knew I was out of bullets from all the mutant animals that had tried to kill us.

Snake Eyes was tugging on my arm, trying to pull me away but I pulled back, tearing my arm free. I tossed my gun aside, running forwards to Anna as she began to be swarmed by the wild inmates. "Anna!" I could hear Duke's voice behind me on the last jet which was beginning to take off. "No! No we gotta save them!" I dived headfirst into the array, fighting my way to Anna as she cried out for help. I found her soft body, pulling her close to me then growled, punching and kicking a small space free to then lift my gun. I shot at the jet and the cable exploded free. I locked it in place.

"Alright let's go! We got them!" Heavy yelled and the jet pulled off, dragging us with it. I held onto Anna as we were lifted out of the flurry of claws, fur and fangs mixed with the sweaty bodies of men and women who were fighting each other as much as trying to capture us. They leaped at us, trying to claw us back but I clicked the reel button, pulling us further away and out of reach as we were pulled in close to the jet.

Duke leaned down and I shifted Anna, lifting her up with one arm before glancing down. We were out into the air now but I could still hear the angered brays of animals below me. "Robyn!" Roadblock yelled and I looked up at him. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up. He lifted me onto my feet but my legs gave out, the shock still powering through my body as I lost all concentration.

Snake caught me in his arms and lowered me down, tilting his head with worry as I began to close my eyes. I felt fine. I wasn't tired. Yet the void was pulling me in, the shell enveloping me. I had no choice but to obey its command.


	15. Chapter 15

**Aren't I being good, next chapter is here! Yay! Thanks for the reviews guys, glad you're all enjoying this story!**

* * *

Though I could hear nothing I knew that I was screaming. I was begging for someone to let me out, to come and help me but no one ever came. I gave up eventually, conserving my energy to begin groping through the darkness as I began my walk through the void. I was beginning to regret ever making it.

All I could see was darkness but occasionally an image would flicker across my mind, most of them frightened me. I saw the Commander, with his sharply refined tools digging into me, needles drawing my blood whilst pain danced within my body. I turned away from those but they latched onto me, now forcing their way into my memory once again.

I ran. I ran as fast as I could, not caring where I was going although blinded. All I wanted was an escape, some way out of this hell hole. I wanted my mother.

Suddenly she was there. I stood before her, blinking in the dazzling light which shone around her as she beamed down at me, wearing a soft orange dress for summer, her brown hair framing her rounded cheeks as she danced with me around a kitchen. Then I saw my dad, a face I initially did not recognise but when he swooped me up into his arms, I knew it was him.

He was tall. Very tall, with ginger hair and full beard which he kept neatly tamed. He wore casual jeans and jacket with a cowboy hat on his head. He smelled of horses. Was he a rancher? Yes, he was. I remember him now. He owned a ranch full of beautiful horses. He also helped save the wild mustangs and kept them safe from poachers.

The light was warm and hazy but I could still see their faces perfectly as they embraced, my dad holding me in one arm as he kissed his wife gently on the cheek then sat me on top of the kitchen worktop.

This memory I grabbed onto and held onto it tightly, letting it seep into my mind before taking a relaxing breath and walking forwards again. I was older, staring up at the face of a bully in fear as she pulled on my hair, making it hurt. Such feeble pain, it didn't even bother me. So much so that I had balled my fist and swung at her, bloodying her nose.

Moving on I saw much of my life return to me. My childhood flashed before my eyes, bringing laughter and tears, especially as I stood at the grave of my dad and then later my mother. At least I could remember their faces now.

By the time I had retrieved as much as I could carry I felt exhausted, so physically and mentally drained that I collapsed and allowed myself to break through the darkness, falling to new levels of silence until finally, I woke up.

I was back on the island and Scarlet was sitting beside me, waiting. "Hey, you okay?"

"What happened?" I asked quietly, sitting up and rubbing my head. "Did I pass out again?"

"Yeah. You were screaming for a good deal of the trip." Scarlet smiled softly then sniffed. "It breaks my heart to hear you begging me to stop hurting you."

"Oh Scarlet, I don't mean that. You know I don't mean it like that." I murmured gently to her. "I don't know what I'm screaming in this crazy head of mine." With a gentle shrug Scarlet stood up.

"If you're up for it, Anna wants to meet you properly." Eagerly I got out of bed, went to my wardrobe and got a change of clothes. I went into my bathroom to have a shower then got changed, rolling my shoulders as I came out to loosen them up. "You've been out for twenty four hours, the guys were beginning to worry about you."

"Really? That long? You didn't stay for the entire time did you?" She shrugged.

"Most of it." Bless her. We went to the rec room where Anna leaped up and embraced me the moment I was through the door, making me blink in shock.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for finding me!"

"Uh…you're welcome." I said, patting her on the back gently before returning her hug. "I have sensitive hearing. I wouldn't have found you had you not been calling out for help." I said. "So technically, I only loosened the straps."

"But still." She smiled at me as Duke came over and placed his arms around her. She chuckled at him. "He hasn't been able to let me go since I got here."

"Because I'm making sure you don't get into trouble." He excused, making me chuckle.

"It's good to have you here." I said to Anna, nodding my head. "Have they figured out how to take out the nanomites?"

"Scarlet's been working on a signal similar to the one on the warheads. She's isolating the frequencies of the nanomites in my system and trying to build up a signal that can act like a kill switch. At the moment they're only dormant."

"Well. That's better than nothing." I replied optimistically. "Don't worry. We'll get those little buggers out." She grinned at me then looked to Duke.

"Told you you'd like her." He smirked victoriously as he kissed her shoulder. I went further in towards Roadblock who instantly grabbed my shoulders and glared at me.

"Are you alright? No pain? No numbness?"

"Well, now you mention it. My vision is a little impaired." I answered him with a grin. "There's this big ugly thing I can't seem to stop seeing all the time and now it's blocking my view." Instantly I dropped and rolled out of the way as he tried to tackle me. Once I had verified that I was fine, everyone stopped hassling me. Scarlet and I decided to go for a beach run since there was little else for me to do and Scarlet wanted some fresh air.

We changed into shorts, kicked off our shoes then began our jog around the island. "We were all pretty worried about you. Breaker said you'd slipped into a sort of coma." Scarlet was saying. "You were completely unresponsive once you'd stopped screaming.

"I was walking through the void." I explained to her. "You know, the sub-reality I had created? Well I got a lot of my memories back. I can remember my parents and what they looked like. It's not all there but it's definitely close. Just a little more." I informed her.

"That's great!"

"Tell me what the plan is. We can't let Commander get away with turning people into half animal mutants." I remembered Sabrina and I instantly felt disheartened. I would never get my old friend back.

"Hawk's working on a plan. We have our best scientists working on a counter transmission which should deactivate the signals from the chips and more on a similar signal for the nanomites. I'm just one of them." Scarlet was saying. "We've lost his trail again so we're back to square one for tracking the signals. Breaker's optimistic though and so am I. We'll catch him. Then we'll bring him in."

I nodded my head as I listened to her, focusing ahead as we continued our run around the beach. A lap of the island took the most of two hours before we were back to where we started. Scarlet stopped, panting for breath and I stood next to her, not even breaking a sweat. "You're so lucky…to not…be out…of breath." Scarlet rasped and I chuckled.

"Hey, I have great endurance, you're smart. Smarter than I could ever hope to be. Even with some sort of modification." I shrugged, stretching with a yawn. "That's better than anything."

"I suppose." Scarlet replied as she smiled, her breath now back. "I best get back to work."

"I think I'll go find someone to steal from." I replied casually. Scarlet laughed.

"I still don't get how you do that, either. Were you made stealthier as well as your other genetic enhancements?" My grin broadened as I looked ahead, walking back to the base.

"Nope. I've always been a great thief." I told her proudly. "Best in the business."

"What's the best thing you ever stole?" I thought back, racking my brain.

"Well, I don't remember everything but I'm pretty sure the best thing I ever stole was a war hero's medal from nineteen forty five." The answer felt right so I just went with it. I could remember that medal perfectly, the silver embellished on a faded ribbon. "I stole it from a shop."

"Why? Was it the most expensive?" Scarlet asked in confusion but I shook my head.

"Not the most expensive. The most important. I don't know why but that medal seemed important to me. Or at least to someone else. I'm sure of it." I couldn't remember why so I continued. "The most expensive thing I had ever stolen was a Rolex from a guy's wrist whilst he was talking to someone on his phone." I recounted simply. "It bought meals for me and my friends for a good two weeks."

"Friends? You've never mentioned friends before. Are you beginning to remember them?" I paused before answering, unsure about whether or not to tell her about Sabrina.

"I can remember two, though I'm sure there were more. Sabrina was one. She…she was turned into a cat by Commander. She hates me now." Scarlet looked at me with sympathy so I moved on. "The other is Petunia. She had been a really old lady and couldn't move well during cold seasons. That's why Sabrina and I went out getting her and the others money so I could buy them food and supplies to keep warm."

"You must miss them." I didn't know what to say. I think I missed them, but it was like trying to miss something you can't remember having. Scarlet and I separated and I went for a shower to wash off the sand I had picked up. The warmth was welcoming, even though it was a hot day I still preferred heat to the cold. Once I was done I changed into comfortable slacks and a jumper, heading out to the mess hall to get some food.

Practically everyone knew me, either by training or by me stealing something from them for a laugh. No one ever held it against me though as I always gave the items back. "Hey Robyn! We're having a wrestling match tonight. Want to join in?" Someone asked as I walked by them, making me stop.

"I don't know. Maybe, I'll think about it." I answered. "It depends if Snake and Shadow want me for training."

"Ah too bad. I hope you'll come. Means I can bet all my money on you." I grinned at Eric then looked down into the wallet I was holding, flipping through the dollars.

"Would that happen to be seventy two dollars and nine cents?" I asked him and he looked down in shock.

"Hey!" He grinned then swiped the wallet back, stuffing it into his pocket and zipping it up. "How did you do that?" I tapped my nose mysteriously then walked on to the line. "So you'll come?"

"Maybe!" I returned over my shoulder, finding Ripcord and Duke at my side suddenly.

"He likes you." Duke said to me, making me blink.

"Well I'm pretty sure he doesn't hate me."

"No, Robyn, he _likes _you." I just frowned at them in confusion.

"Can you please elaborate? I still have the neurological function of a six year old in most centre parts of my lexical understanding." They just stared at me as I chuckled. Rip rubbed his head in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Sometimes I'm six, sometimes I'm twenty five." I translated for them bluntly and they nodded their heads slowly in understanding.

"Oh." Rip laughed then folded his arms across his chest, his face becoming serious and forlorn. "What we mean is, Robyn, that he is interested in you _sexually_."

"Ew! Guys I'm just about to eat!" I scowled at them, placing my hands on my hips. "And I think you're wrong."

"Aw, Robyn, don't ever grow up. Stay six forever." Rip said to me, placing an arm around me and rubbing my arm roughly with an affectionate smile. I ducked under his arm then punched him lightly with a soft smile.

"Eric's just a friend. Besides, who'd want to date me? I'd likely crush anyone's fingers if they so much as tried to hold my hand." I reasoned with them simply. "I mean, I had to be so careful around Roadblock's kids when I was helping look after them." Duke shuddered. "One moment of lack of concentration and I could have crushed their ribs."

"But you controlled it, so what's the big deal? Wait, scrap that, we're talking about Eric." Ripcord reminded himself as we moved closer to the cafeteria. "We just want you to be careful. Guys like him are interested in only one thing. You need us to explain that to you?" I held up my hands.

"Whoa guys, don't worry, I know all about the bird and the bee." We all fell about giggling like a bunch of school girls. Today was lasagne, one of my favourites. I took my share and sat down at a table with the others as they gradually piled in with us.

"Why doesn't Snake or Storm ever join us?" I asked as I began to shove food into my mouth.

"Antisocial ninjas." Roadblock answered. "And Snake doesn't take off his mask in public." I looked up at him, chewing on my food before swallowing.

"Why?"

"Don't know. People say it's because he has no face." My face remained blank.

"That's stupid." I said bluntly then continued to eat. "But seriously though."

"No one knows really. Some say one thing, someone says something else. Oh, by the way, Spanner wants to see you for weapon customisation." This stopped me in my tracks, fork halfway to my mouth.

"Really?" I squeaked in excitement, dropping my fork. "I get my own gun? Sweet!"

"Take it easy or you'll choke." Rip said, grabbing my hand to slow me down and pull the food away from my mouth, which was already full. I pouted and tried to lean forwards but Rip wrestled it from me. I turned my upset face to him and he groaned. "I hate it when she does that." He handed back my fork.

Smiling happily I continued to eat as quickly as I could, wanting to go over to Spanner's workshop to find out what weapon I had been given. The moment I was done I grabbed my tray, threw it into the washing up pile then raced out of the mess hall, leaping over people in my haste.

"Spanner's called her in." Someone guessed as I slid along the floor between someone's legs to cut through the queue so that I could reach the door. I ran, skipped and bounced my way to the workshop, excitement gnawing at my stomach as I spotted the door I wanted. Inside I could hear the sound of bangs and the sharpening of metal, sparks flying off inside. At last I heard a crash and a loud curse being bellowed, which allowed me to knock and be heard.

I banged my fist on the door, shouting for Spanner who stumbled over to the door then tore it open. The tiny man peered up at me through the thick glasses which magnified his eyes, making the icy blueness stand out further. His wiry hair stood at least five inches out from his skull at all angles, the white coat stained with several different colours from chemicals.

"Ah! Robyn. Come on in. Don't touch that! Watch out for that!" Instantly I was hammered with regulations. Basically I had to stand in the middle of his shop and not move an inch. Strange gadgets and equipment stood all around me, hardly any of it recognisable. There were beakers of chemicals bubbling over, with twisting tubes leading into others which changed the colour from one to another. It was like a mad house.

Spanner shuffled back to me, sniffing back his running nose then handed me a pair of slim fitting gloves, with strange circular pads on each fingertip, and at various points surrounding the palm. "Those are electric gloves. You touch someone with those on and you'll knock them out for at least an hour or so." Instantly I was sliding them on. They fitted me perfectly like a second skin.

"How do I activate them?" I asked him and he touched the pad at the centre of my palm. Instantly blue lines appeared around the black carbon fibre fabric. At least I think it was carbon fibre, I wasn't too sure but we'll go with that. I could feel the electricity vibrating softly against my skin, making me grin. "And to turn it off, you touch the same pad again." I did so and the humming stopped.

"Sweet!" I grinned at the tiny genius who waved his hand.

"They're to help with your hand to hand combat. As I understand it, you excelled in this area as well as in marksmanship. So, for this, you'll have your own pair of guns." He now placed these two new treasures in my hands. "They have specialised bullets." He said, gesturing to the handguns. "They can penetrate through six feet of concrete if necessary and explode." This made me draw back from them slightly.

"So the bullets will go right through someone if I shoot them? Isn't that a little…gross?"

"Not all the bullets, stupid girl. Here." He took back one of the guns and showed me the three panels in the grip where my three fingers would naturally curl around. "The guns will fire regular bullets unless you press one of these three panels. Top one is the stronger bullets that pass through the concrete and blow up, second one freezes whatever the bullet hits and the third one is a tracking bullet. You lodge that into something then no one will be able to escape you." He gave me a little scanner which would be able to follow the signal. "You clip that onto your belt. However if you lose it or it gets broken with a device still out there, I'll be able to track it from here as I designed the signal." He told me proudly.

"Okay. I have no idea how you got these to work like that but thank you. They're amazing." I told him with a smile. "I'm just a little confused about the freezing one. How does that work?" With a sigh Spanner lifted the gun he held and shot at a piece of metal thrown in the corner after pressing the second panel. The gun fired and the bullet hit the metal, instantly letting off a gas which froze over the entire piece. When Spanner picked up a wrench, he tapped the metal lightly. It crumbled into tiny pieces.

"Awesome." I grinned from ear to ear, taking both guns and putting them safely in their holsters with the safety locks on. The bullet hadn't even made a dent, it just melted into the metal like some sort of glue. "You really are a genius."

"Yes. I am." Spanner nodded his head in acknowledgement, smirking with pride. "One more thing." Another gadget? Sweet! Spanner shifted a few of his things, muttering to himself as he tried to find it before lifting it up victoriously. "Aha!" He turned then held it out to me. I looked at it then beamed from ear to ear. A thieving kit! In the belt there were picklocks, a heat laser, some shuriken, exploding glue and even a pair of night vision goggles. "You are a legend. Thanks Spanner!" I exclaimed then hugged him tightly but carefully, not wanting to crush him.

The tiny squeaked in surprise then hastened to push me off. "Alright, alright, alright! You're happy, yes, yes, yes you should be. Now go away, I have important work to do." With one last grin and a thanks, I raced out the door to return to the others and show them my new prizes.

Duke and Rip loved the guns, Scarlet the gloves and Breaker curiously looked through my thief belt. "You're set now. You've got everything you need." Scarlet grinned, looking down at the glove she was wearing then reached out to Rip, grabbing his shoulder.

Ripcord yelled aloud and dropped to his knees, his shoulder jolting violently as Scarlet laughed then pulled her hand away. Stunned, Rip patted his chest and shoulder, wondering why he was still awake. "You're such an idiot." Scarlet said to him lovingly before tossing the deactivated stun glove back to me. I put all things away with my suit carefully, locking it before leaving them all to rest.

I was just considering to go to the wrestling match when Storm Shadow walked up to me. "Dojo. Now." I groaned.

"No wrestling then." I sighed but followed Storm obediently to the gym where we trained. He made me go through all the katas he and Snake Eyes had taught me. He was impatient and constantly corrected my form if he believed it wasn't good enough. He was driving me crazy. After a while though, he left me alone, simply watching me. Perhaps I was doing something right for once?

At the end I turned to look at him, arching an eyebrow. He snorted. "Adequate." I rolled my eyes then continued with the next one. We were in the middle of a fight when someone walked in with obvious swagger in his step. We both stopped, my leg caught by Storm's hand as I had tried to strike him in the face and my hands on both his wrist and ankle, both of us twisted at odd angles.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Eric asked, grinning at me and gave a little wave. Instantly my brow creased into a frown.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, neither of us moving from our position.

"I was…er…going to ask if you were coming. The boys want a good fight." Eric arched an eyebrow at us, obviously wondering how the hell we got into that position. "I'm sorry but, doesn't that hurt?" Storm looked like he was about to pummel the guy then stick his katana up where it's not meant to shine. Quickly I pulled away and strode forwards.

"You can't just walk in here, this is Storm and Snake's private training dojo. You're not even meant to have shoes on!" I whispered frantically. "Get out of here before he tries to murder you."

"But you will come?" He persisted.

"I'm training!"

"You train all the time." Eric shrugged, not understanding.

"I love training."

"With him?" Now he was turning dark, glaring over at Storm who arched an eyebrow curiously.

"In general."

"Then come to the match." I growled, placing my hands on my hips.

"I'm staying here. Now please leave." Eric pulled his glare away from Storm Shadow and turned to me again, shifting on his feet before smirking and reaching out. As he spoke, he ran a finger across my chin then slowly trailed it down my neck.

"Come on baby, I know you want to." I snapped. Without any warning I grabbed Eric's wrist and twisted it, forcing him to bend at an odd angle with a strangled cry then threw him over my shoulders, carrying him over my neck to the door before kicking it open. I strode past Snake Eyes who got out of my way then tilted his head in bewilderment as Storm Shadow followed with a smirk.

"Training's over. You'd better come see this." Thankfully it was not far to the wrestling arena, but I made sure I was careful to hit Eric's head on every door as he struggled and yelled for me to drop him. The moment I walked inside, everyone parted and stared cheering, including Duke and Ripcord, Scarlet and Anna in their embraces. I lifted Eric up then threw him into the ring, clearing the ropes before sliding inside elegantly myself.

"You wanna fight?" I snarled at Eric who was slowly getting to his fight. "Fine! We'll fight." I gripped his jacket sleeve and fisted some fabric from his trousers before lifting him up easily, my enhanced strength barely feeling the weight as I spun him around like a baseball before slamming him into the ground. "How'd you like that huh?" Everyone was yelling and laughing as I flipped Eric onto his front, standing above him. "Anymore?"

"Alright! Alright I'm sorry." I scoffed at him, folding my arms then jerked my chin to Storm Shadow who was watching with amusement.

"Apologise to my sensei for disrespecting his dojo." Eric looked at me then turned his head, looking directly at Storm.

"I'm sorry." He said sincerely then backed away from me as I lowered myself down, crouching in front of him.

"If you ever, call me baby again," I pointed to the wall. "I'll toss you through that and leave you in a grave six feet deep." With that I got up then strode from the ring, disappearing into the crowd. I left everyone behind, returning to the dojo. I was surprised that neither Snake nor Shadow had followed to continue the session.

I bowed at the door then entered, looking around. I saw the loudspeakers and stereo station so I walked over then selected a CD from the shelf, placed the disk in then let it play. I breathed in the beat, letting it relax me as I took a few steps back, swaying my hips with the rhythm until I had found the flow.

Moving with the music I turned around, hands behind my head before twisting with a high kick, dancing like I was fighting. It was smooth and melodic but at the chorus the beat picked up and I moved with it, throwing punches then simply dancing until sweat was pouring from my body. If I was sweating then it meant I was putting a lot of energy into this dance.

When the song flipped over I continued to dance, changing to match the beat, melody and lyrics. I couldn't remember the last time I had danced like this. Back in my troupe, I suppose, over ten years ago. Still, my body had never forgotten what it could do. As I turned several pirouettes I finished with a high roll of my leg, circling it around as my torso leaned back then I turned, taking a beat of a step before leaping high up into the air, stretching out my arms and legs into a perfect split before landing again, barely making a sound as my hands and arms began to move, my hips swaying and dipping with the pulse before I barrel leaped several times, a wide smile plastered on my face as I kept my eyes pressed tightly shut.

As the song climaxed I rose up on my feet, turning tightly with my arms held above my head like a ballerina, spinning until I was dizzy to the point of collapse. I stopped and opened my eyes, panting for breath. When I saw Snake Eyes standing there, watching me, I froze in place and my eyes widened in horror. Had he seen me dancing?

I tried to take a step back but my spinning mind made me lose my balance and I tripped up over my own feet, falling hard onto my rear with an oomph. "How…long where you standing there?" I asked slowly, tilting my head to the side as Snake's shoulder shook slightly with laughter. "Great. Um. Promise not to tell anyone?" He nodded his head then walked over to me, holding out his hand to help me up.

Smiling I gripped his hand and he pulled me to my feet but when I wavered, my mind blacking out and Snake's hand went to my waist to support me, keeping me steady until I could see again. "Thanks." I said to him, giving him a soft smile. He pulled back once I was steady but his hand lingered for a moment, pausing as if he wanted to say something. Or at least say something the way Snake says something.

Looking away, my cheeks flushed from the dancing I went over to the stereo and stopped the music, an eerie silence filling the dojo. "Training?" Snake shook his head. "Oh. Was there something else then?" He shrugged then signed something at me but stopped halfway.

"No, I learned some. See?" I signed a few words to him, slowly and with a deep frown of concentration. Snake chuckled silently and I smiled, looking at the ground as I tucked my hair behind my ear with my little finger. Snake asked me whether I was alright. "I'm fine. I just didn't like the way Eric interrupted Storm's lesson." I explained then pouted slightly. "Plus he called me baby and touched me inappropriately. I didn't like that." Snake tensed then clenched his fists, making me chuckle. "Don't worry. I think he got what he deserved." I reasoned as I put the CD away. "If there's nothing else, I think I'm going to go and get some sleep." Snake nodded his head then drew his katana, turning his back to me as he began to train on his own.

I paused at the door, looking back at Snake to watch his movements. He was so elegant with every move, he barely had to twitch his wrist and that blade was singing through the air like a bolt of lightning. I was transfixed by his movements before my mouth spoke without thinking. "Snake?" He paused and looked over to me. "Goodnight." He inclined his head then returned to training.


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm going to try and post a little more frequently from now on, because I really cannot wait to see how the rest of this story pans out, thank you all so much for your support!**

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Everyone was excited, I could smell it. Only, they wouldn't tell me what they were excited about. Duke tried to pass it off as my amazing stunt last night. "Duke. You're a terrible liar. It doesn't help that I can actually _smell _you lying." Duke blushed with embarrassment, making Anna laugh.

"Ah, you're blushing!"

"Am not!" Sighing I turned to Roadblock.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" I asked him but he merely shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He tried to walk away but I grabbed his wrist and twisted it, forcing him to his knees as he hissed in pain.

"You sure?"

"Positive!" He growled through gritted teeth. I squeezed his wrist a little tighter.

"Are you _very_ sure." I pressed him, arching an eyebrow as he began to sweat a little. He looked from me to his wrist then back again.

"We're going to have more of the team join back up with us!" He blurted all at once.

"Block!" Everyone chorused as I let his wrist go, smiling victoriously.

"What? You weren't the ones having your wrist broken!" He whimpered, nursing his hand carefully as I retrieved an ice pack and wrapped it up for him.

"So who are they? Why were you trying to hide it from me? I asked curiously, sitting down next to Block who continued to whine like a little puppy.

"We wanted to surprise you." Heavy Duty answered, shooting a glare at Roadblock in the process. "They're coming today."

"They should be here any minute. We're just waiting for the call from…" Scarlet trailed off when something began to buzz on the table. Breaker looked at it then grinned.

"They're here!" Instantly everyone sprang to their feet and I was dragged along in the rush to the airfield, Ripcord gripping my arm as he encouraged me to hurry up.

"Didn't know you could run so fast Rip." I said to him, making Duke laugh. The moment we were standing before the plane which was slowly shutting down, three people got out. The first was a man who instantly went to Duke and they gave each other manly hugs before Rip moved in. "Flint! Great to see you bro!"

Next was a beautiful woman with reddish brown hair who smiled at us all and went to Scarlet first, hugging her. "Robyn this is Lady Jaye." Scarlet introduced. "The three of us make the top women shooters in the entire force."

"Hi." I smiled and held out my hand, shaking hers as she nodded to me. "Robyn."

"Jaye." She answered warmly. "I've heard about you. You're the experiment aren't you?" The smile dropped from my face a little but I brought it back quickly before Jaye could register the slight hurt she'd inflicted.

"Yeah that's me. Subject Forty-Three." I shrugged then stepped back as Jaye hugged Ripcord. The last person out of the plane was a woman with dark hair, a slightly darker tone of skin and two katana which she carried in her hand whilst holding her duffle in the other. "This is Jinx, Snake Eye's apprentice and Storm Shadow's cousin. She's training to be a ninja like them." Scarlet stepped up as Jinx pulled away from embracing Snake. I bristled slightly at their contact. Jinx turned at the sound of her name and her eyes instantly narrowed suspiciously, glancing me over. Finally she nodded her head.

"Hello."

"Hey." I answered back. Scarlet continued, noticing the ice between us as I narrowed my eyes, trying to place this woman's face from somewhere in my past.

"Jinx, this is Robyn. She's training with Snake and Storm so you'll see her around. She's an excellent markswoman and she's also a thief. So watch your valuables, she likes to take them for fun but don't worry, she always gives them back." Neither of us said anything and soon everyone became quiet. I took a step closer and Jinx tensed, obviously seeing this as a threatening move.

"I know you from somewhere." I stated, rubbing my head to try and figure out where I'd seen her before.

"Impossible." Jinx answered coldly, arching an eyebrow. "I've never seen you before."

"But I feel like I have." I answered. All at once the memory rushed at me. It was winter and the snow was falling thick. I was begging on the streets, wanting just a little money to buy some medicine to help Petunia with her arthritis. I saw a pretty woman walking towards me so I walked up to her, asking if she had any change. I saw her face clearly as she shouldered me aside then spat on me as I hit the ground, twisting my wrist awkwardly which made it throb with pain. Blinking I stared at her.

"Have you ever been to New York?" I asked her and she nodded.

"A few times, yes." That was it. I hated her. Nodding my head I smiled, trying my best to keep the venom from my voice.

"Well, welcome back." With that I turned and headed towards the beach. I mauled things over in my mind, trying my best to forgive Jinx but I just couldn't do it. She'd shoved me into the snow and spat on me like I was nothing but filth. I couldn't help but hate her.

Angrily I kicked at the sand, spraying it all over the place before sighing and turning to face the waves. I sat down on a warm rock, baked by the sun then crossed my legs, straightening my back before closing my eyes. The gentle sigh of the waves helped to relax me, the salt air and soft breeze cooling my temper. I meditated for a long time just like Storm and Snake had taught me. Up until now I'd found no use for it.

"I see you have not hit off well with my cousin." Storm's voice interrupted my empty mind.

"I'm meditating." I told him darkly, warning him to go away. When I sensed him come and sit next to me I sighed and dropped my position. "What do you want?"

"Why did it look like you two were about to draw out your claws and go for one another?" He asked me, looking out to the ocean.

"I've met her before." I answered. "We didn't meet well."

"What happened?" I shook my head, not wanting to tell him but he asked again with a little more force.

"Well, it was winter. I was cold and one of my friends was ill. I was begging for money on the streets when I saw your cousin." I spat out the word like it was poison in my mouth. "I asked if she had any change and she just shouldered me aside."

"So? She pushed you down. Deal with it." Storm Shadow replied sardonically, earning a glare from me.

"I would. But I can't forgive her for spitting on me. She made me feel like I was worth less than nothing. Like I was filth." Springing off the rock I began to stride down the beach, trying once again to rein in my temper. Storm followed me.

"That's all?"

"You don't think that's a good enough reason?" I retaliated sharply, looking over my shoulder to see him shrug.

"It's in the past. Put it there and let it go. My cousin and I are alike."

"You mean you're both jackasses?" Storm's eyes narrowed at me. This time I shrugged, spreading my hands as I faced him, walking backwards. "And arrogant and selfish and egotistic jerks and…" Storm leaped at me. I ducked under him, swinging up my hand to flip him over my head. "Let alone slow." He sprung up and went for my legs but I flipped them out of his reach and kicked him in the chest, forcing him back a few steps. "And gullible. Very predictable too." I grinned as Storm began to smirk a little, accepting the challenge.

We picked up where we had left off the night before, fighting with everything we had until finally, I managed to throw Storm Shadow into the surf. "Yes! Victory is mine!" I declared, spinning around and punching the air. The smile dropped from my face when Storm didn't rise above water. Oh crap, did I knock him out? "Storm?" I called, walking into the turf. "Storm!" I cried a little louder then waded in towards the place I had landed. "Storm this isn't funny!" I yelled, frantically searching the water.

All at once something sprung up from behind and gripped me around the neck, pulling me back then buried me in the water. Storm Shadow grinned down at me when I resurfaced, coughing and spluttering for air. "Victory is mine." He stated simply. With a growl I leaped at him, slamming him back into the water again. We fought for a few more minutes until finally, we swam back to shore then dragged ourselves onto the beach. I collapsed onto dry sand and closed my eyes, shifting to get comfortable.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting for the sun to dry me off. I'm not walking in there dripping wet." I informed him simply, not even bothering to open my eyes. "You should either consider to do the same or use those ninja skills of yours to get in and changed without being seen." Storm Shadow paused for a moment, contemplating before sitting down beside me.

"Your skills are improved." I waved a hand in the air, brushing off the rare compliment.

"They aren't mine."

"How do you mean?" I shifted slightly, frowning as I thought deeply back into my memory.

"They were downloaded. By the chip I mean." I explained to him. "I think that's how I'm so advanced in all those fighting arts. He planted the data I needed to make my body and mind think I knew those kind of things." With a soft sigh I sat up then pulled off my tank top, baring my torso to lay back down in just my sports bra. Thankfully it was fairly modest and just looked like a crop top. "So technically, I'm not skilled at all."

"How do you know this?"

"I remember more every day. Some of it I don't want to but it doesn't look like I have a choice." My hands cupped under my head to cushion it a little more. For a long time neither of us spoke further, just enjoying the silence and one another's company. The heat of the sun meant that we dried off pretty quickly so I stood, brushed myself off from the sand then looked around to Storm. Before I could speak I spotted something in the sand.

I went over to it and knelt down, getting low to look at it closely. "Storm? What is this?" I asked and Storm Shadow looked up then moved closer.

"It's a starfish." He told me. "They live in the sea."

"But what is it doing here?" I asked, feeling like a six year old again. I hated that there were so many sieve holes in my mind.

"It's probably got washed up by the tide." I looked back down to the reddish coloured starfish, its legs trying to move back to the ocean. "It'll die soon if you don't put it back." Motivated by this new information I carefully picked up the creature, making sure not to damage it before walking into the sea. "You could just throw it." Storm called out to me but I ignored him, walking deeper and deeper into the waves before I took a deep breath and dived down.

I swam further out and down, angling to reach the bottom of the deep ocean where I knew the coral reef was. Once it was in view I let the starfish go and watched it float down like a feather, landing on a soft patch of sand where it then buried itself in, snuggling into its blanket whilst waving one of its arms at me, as if in thanks. Satisfied I swam back to the surface. The moment my head was free I gulped down some air then swam back to the shore where Storm Shadow was on his feet, searching the waves for me.

"That was pointless." He stated to me as I walked up to him. "You're soaked again."

"It was worth it." I replied with a shrug. "I saved its life."

"It's just a starfish."

"And you're just a human." With that put between us I turned and headed back to base, not caring that I was soaking wet from head to foot. When the others saw me, they all frowned. Jinx snorted in laughter slightly then rolled her eyes. I looked down at my feet, blushing with embarrassment then continued on to my room but not before Scarlet called out.

"What happened?"

"I found a starfish." I answered simply and Scarlet frowned, not quite understanding. "I didn't know what it was so Storm told me it lived in the sea and would die if it dried up on the beach." I said. "So I swam into the ocean then took it back to the reef."

"Oh. Right." Scarlet said then smiled. "You're so sweet." I looked back at my feet again, tucking my hair behind my ear with my little finger.

"You got yourself wet for a starfish?" Jinx asked. "And you didn't even know what it was?" My eyes darkened at her. Instead of rising to the bait I turned and headed to my room. I threw my clothes into the wash basket then took a shower. A long one.


	17. Chapter 17

**Just ignore me, please, keep reading!**

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Jinx and I didn't get on well. Whatever I did when Storm or Snake taught me during training, she would roll her eyes then show me how it was "properly" done. I tried to not let her get to me but it was proving hard. Pretty soon I just stuck to training with Duke, Block and Scarlet.

Jaye joined our shooting sessions and I always had a great time, talking about something important or nothing of remote interest at all. Great times. Flint and I were good, he liked to wrestle and would often ask for a few rounds in the ring, which I would always accept. He didn't quite understand that I was genetically enhanced so every time, he'd get his butt handed to him.

Progress with the Cobra problem was slow. At first it looked great, Breaker was looking into several signals all around the world then on day three, they just all stopped. He couldn't understand it and neither could I. Cobra wanted a show, so why wasn't he playing chase?

Then there was Sabrina. I asked Breaker if there was any way to reverse what had been done but he didn't sound too positive about it. He said that reversing it could cause more pain and strain to the subject, which in turn could kill them. There was only one other way. I would have to either convince Sabrina I wasn't her enemy or kill her.

Then there was another problem. Eric. The guy just didn't know how to take a hint. Even when I had hit him in the face he wouldn't back off. He thought I was trying to play hard to get, I just wanted him to back the hell off. It had got to the point where I was locking my door at night. When he kept on trying to get in, I bunked with Jaye.

The guys offered to kill him for me. I literally had to block the door and point blank refuse to move until they had promised me that they would lift a finger against Eric. The last thing we needed was a bloody murder.

So I sat alone in my room, meditating. I was trying to think of what to do but apparently when I was undergoing treatment, Commander hadn't thought to accelerate my intelligence levels. Stupid jerk. My meditation was interrupted when Breaker flung my door open. "You need to come and see this." Instantly I was on my feet and following him. He lead me to the bridge where the big screen was filled with an image of terrified citizens running away from strange half human half animal creatures. Commander's voice spoke clearly, making me flinch but instantly a warm hand was on my shoulder. I knew it was Snake Eyes.

"Citizens of the world. You are hearing the Commander of Cobra, a group of revolutionaries intent on bringing security and order to this world. You have my solemn word that no one shall be harmed as long as your world leaders transfer all power to me. If not then they shall suffer the price of their cowardice and greed through blood. Too long have we lived in fear of our lives, surrounded by darkness, lies and deceit. Cobra can bring world unification and security to your lives. We are dedicated to healing all wounds this world has ever suffered."

"Lying piece of…" Scarlet hit Rip to shut him up.

"My genetically enhanced army will harm no innocent being. They are loyal to my command and will help to bring justice to those who have longed escaped it. Leaders of the world, you have forty eight hours to comply. Publically announce your abdication and submit all powers and control over your states to me. Forty eight hours. The clock is ticking." There was a brief rush of static before his voice returned, just as dark and menacing as before. "G.I Joe, I am now speaking only to you. You think you can defeat me but so far, you have failed. This is inevitable. Nothing can be done to save the world leaders, not one of you could ever hope to protect them from my new genetically modified and enhanced army."

"You wanna bet?" Roadblock growled, cracking his knuckles.

"Subject Forty-Three, I thank you. Your information has been…most useful. I am truly sorry for your sacrifice. Believe me, it was not in vain." With that the line went dead.

"Huh?" Suddenly I had two blades in front of me. One, held by Jinx, was directed to my throat. The second, held by Snake Eyes, was blocking it. "But…he's lying! I didn't tell him anything." Everyone just stared at me. "I'm not lying." I narrowed my eyes, pushing both swords away from me. "I would never betray you." I looked directly at Hawk who clenched his jaw, betrayal stressed into his eyes. I looked around to everyone, shocked to find similar expressions on all of their faces.

"Take her to a cell. Lock her up." Two Joes grabbed my arms and upon instant I fought back, lifting them up and planted them into the ground.

"No one's taking me anywhere. I'm innocent." I spat, fury burning in my chest like a furnace. "Why would you believe him over me?" I pointed to the screen but I was point blank ignored. I was forcibly restrained and dragged away, though I shouted and fought most of the way. In the end I gave in, not actually wanting to hurt anyone.

I allowed them to take me to a secure holding, basically a small room with only a board attached to the wall for a bed. The door swung shut behind me and hissed as the mechanisms locked into place. Instantly I punched the wall with a strangled yell, wincing as I broke my hand but the bones all knitted together within the space of minutes. "Ouch." I winced then sat down on the floor, crossing my legs.

Meditation calmed me down. I seem to be doing that a lot recently. However, all I could see was the distinct smirk on Jinx's satisfied face as she walked over to Snake then placed her hand on his chest. How dare she be intimate with him!

I had no idea why it bother me so much but I shoved it aside, muttering under my breath. Hours flickered by, turning into minutes thanks to the deep meditation I was in. I revisited the void, drawing back more memories. I had to know, had the Commander implanted another chip into me without me knowing? One that somehow recorded information digested into my mind?

Technically I could just break out of here but that would hardly prove that I was innocent, would it? So I only had one choice. Sit and wait. It sucked to high heaven. Even the meditating was beginning to wear down my patience. I needed to be out there with my team. They would need my help.

Though it did hurt that they had just believed I was a traitor just like that. Was I that disposable? They didn't even bother to hear my side of the story. Cobra Commander was a sadistic manipulator, he was using them and turning them against me, their strongest asset who was the only one who could take on his new pets and survive without a scratch.

I had almost managed to fade into sleep when I heard the door being ripped open. Immediately I was on my feet, fists raised in a boxing stance to defend myself. The three men rushed inside, guns aimed but I had already leaped up into the air and landed on their shoulders for balance.

Reaching down I grabbed two guns and literally crushed them in my hands, squashing the metal before flipping down over my head, moving to slam all three of them into walls as they cried out in shock and anger. "Kill her!"

"Now boys, let's not be too hasty." I called then ducked under a swing which one of the disarmed men aimed at me. "Okay then. Have it your way." I slapped aside the last gun, twisting it out of his grip then knocked him out with a blow across the face, twisting and lowering myself down to then sweep both men out from under their feet, flooring them. "I'm not your enemy. Tell Hawk I'll be back once Cobra are brought down." With that I knocked them out then leaped out of my cell.

I had to be fast, it wouldn't be long before the alarm was raised. Just as I made it out of the detention level, sirens began to blare. "Oh that's just fantastic!" I cussed aloud then continued in my escape. Hammering feet were coming at me from ahead so I took a sharp turn to the left, heading towards the mess hall.

With everyone out to bring me down, I had little choice but to fight. I didn't want to though, the last thing I wanted was to hurt someone. Ahead of me a squad of gunmen cut me off and took aim. They were ordered to kill? A tad bit much, don't you think Hawk?

With all my power I sprang to the right, back into the corridor as the bullets sprayed at the wall, marring its smooth surface with hundreds of bullet holes which continued to cut off my escape. With the roar of firearms in my ears I didn't heard the soft footsteps as they approached me. I only realised he was standing next to me when a smooth blade was pressed into my neck. Going perfectly still I exhaled then slowly and very carefully, began to turn my head. When I saw who it was, I sighed with relief and relaxed, smiling slightly. "Snake!" He tilted his head to the side, regarding me. At least he wouldn't kill me. His morals went against it. I was at least now a little bit safer.

I hated not being able to see into his eyes. I didn't know if he was looking at me with hate, scorn or distrust, I had no idea what he was thinking. "Snake Eyes…it's not what you think." I whispered to him, trying my best to keep the desperation out of my voice. There was a brief moment when I thought he didn't believe me and my heart hammered in my chest.

Then all at once he pulled back his blade then inclined his head back the way I had just came. Not having much choice, I followed him. I noticed that the cameras were down, the red lights empty like a sleeping eye. "Snake, you don't believe I'm innocent, do you?" I didn't bother covering up my hurt. When he didn't answer, I looked away with a pained expression.

Snake Eyes led me to a flight of stairs which we raced up, covering three steps at a time before he stopped before a heavy looking metal door and began to spin the wheel, unlocking it. He swung it open then jerked his head through roughly, telling me to get lost.

I stood there, unsure what to say. How could he believe I had told Cobra our secrets? This was my home, the only home I had. Now I was nobody and I had nothing. I was nothing. "Snake…" He didn't want to hear it. He grabbed my shoulder and forced me through, giving me a hard push before slamming the door shut behind me. Ahead of me stood a helicopter, alone at the top of the base.

He'd planned it all out for me. At least he cared enough to not want me trapped in that cell. Perhaps he expected me to go running to Commander, where apparently my true loyalties lay. I didn't take the helicopter. If I did then Hawk would know for definite that I had been assisted in my escape.

Instead I went to the rocks and looked down. It was a long way to dive, if any other person dared jumped they would likely be killed, either from impact or by the sharp rocks the powerful waves rolled against. I wasn't that desperate.

I began to climb down the cliff face, crawling like a little spider to get around to the jets. If I was going to get out of here, I needed speed. Dangling precariously over the edge of the bay, I began to inch around before I managed to squeeze through a ventilation shaft, the one where I had often sat in from the other side to get some air. I wasn't going to grab a jet yet, though. I wanted a few things for supplies.

My suit.

The fan rolled smoothly with rhythmic beats, too fast for me to squeeze through. I spun around, glancing through before slamming my foot into one of the leaves of the fan, bending the metal forwards. With a groan the fan clunked to a standstill, the bent metal locking it down against one of the barring panels meant to keep people from putting obstacles in the way of the ventilation. Ha.

I squeezed through, grateful for my small stature before army crawling forwards. Everyone was on high alert, searching for me. Several boats and aircraft had been taken out to search the waters for me in case I had made it that far.

Now was the moment. All those years of blending in, stealing from pockets and remaining stealthy were about to come into good use. I slipped out of the duct, glanced around then slipped smoothly around the back of some supplies shipped in for the kitchens and other units. There were several guards standing in front of them with their guns.

Silently I lay on top then began to roll, arching my head back slightly then swiped a hat from one of the men with light fingers, smirking as he didn't even twitch. I stole all four hats then stuffed them all into the netting around the crates, save for one, then moved on. I put on the cap, pulling up my shoulders as I walked out slightly into the open.

As I climbed the steps two women were whispering in hushed tones, completely focused on each other and their gossip. Wouldn't you know it, they were talking about me. One woman had her army issued jacket slung over shoulder in a loose grip, making it easy for me to walk past and pluck it softly from her fingers.

Naturally she lowered her arm, continuing her whispering as I discreetly slung the jacket on, taking a moment as I walked to twist up my hair under the cap. "Hey, I think I left my jacket at my desk. Can you come back to get it with me?" I smirked at the woman who had only just realised she didn't have her jacket.

Walking calmly along I slid into an arms room, grabbed a gun then when I exited, jogged along with a patrol who were still searching for me. "She's here somewhere, nothing's left this island. Let's find her." You-hooh! Right over here! My pace kept up with them easily but when they turned right, I broke off and continued on left towards my room where my suit remained locked in my closet.

It was completely ironic. I was breaking into my own room. There were no cameras in this section except at the entrance to the barracks, marking everyone who went in and out. This was my next challenge. Luck seemed to be on my side, however, as a team were checking in, armed to the teeth. Without a word I slipped into line, hardening my face and sucking in my lips to thin them out, changing my features ever so slightly.

This patrol went straight to my room where our leader kicked the door open with one powerful boot. "Check to see if she returned here. She'll be after her suit." He jerked his thumb and two of us went inside. I was one of them. I didn't go straight to the closet where I knew I kept my suit. Instead I checked under the bed, keeping my gun prepared to fire at all times then slipped around to the bathroom, slowly reaching for the handle before bursting through, pointing my gun before stepping in and checking behind the door and in the bath.

"She's not here sir, the closet is still locked." The guy who had come in with me called out.

"Move on. You," He pointed to me and I stood up taller and saluted him, narrowing my eyes and keeping my lips thinned, sucking in my cheeks a little also. "Stay here in case she appears. The order is subdue and capture."

"Yes sir. Understood sir." I parroted then selected a hiding place in the bathroom, sliding out of sight. When I was sure they were gone, I slipped outside, tossed off my clothes then changed into my suit. With my belt around my hips, gloves stuffed into the belt and guns in holsters, I was ready.

The suit made me feel safer already. Now for the big break for freedom. I couldn't afford to mess this up. I needed to prove I was innocent. Over my suit I slipped back on my other clothes, returning to the good soldier before leaving the room, throwing an angered look at the broken down door. He was totally going to pay for that.

With the machine gun in both hands I jogged towards the opposite end of the barracks where I knew there was a window big enough for me to squeeze through. I might have to smash it open though if it was locked. The moment I heard Ripcord's voice I dived into a closet, quietly pulling the door shut then strained my ears to listen. He was talking to Duke.

"…make any sense. Why would she sell us out?"

"I don't understand it either Rip but what are we supposed to do? If there's even the slightest possibility that Robyn is a threat, Hawk has to consider the safety of all others first."

"I can't believe you don't believe Robyn. She loves us. We're her family. This is her _home_. I know this is all a set up. Commander's just trying to break her off from the people she trusts."

"She hasn't helped herself by escaping. It makes her look even guiltier." Their voices began to fade away but I caught the last of what Ripcord said.

"She's just frightened…" At least I can still trust Rip. Ripcord believed me. With this new light of hope I slipped out of the broom closet then hurried to the window. It was locked so I used the butt of my gun to smash it open with firm strokes until it was open for me to hoist myself up and squeeze through. My torso had just been posted through when firm hands grabbed my legs and tried to yank me back. They were soft and not particularly strong, which meant they were a woman's. Unable to make myself kick out I struggled, using my arms to pull the rest of me through.

When I risked a glance back my eyes narrowed at Jinx who glared at me then tried to come after me, lifting herself up and pushed her legs through. I grabbed them both then tore her out, gripping her around the neck then slammed her into the wall within the space of a second. The first blow didn't knock her out but she was dazed, her mouth hanging open in shock. "That was for spitting on me." I snarled then dropped her to the ground, not trusting myself to hit her again without killing her.

She looked up at me with tight lips and hardened eyes. She knew. Without even looking back I turned and began to walk away. The soft hiss of metal cutting through the air rang in my ears and I turned, throwing my hands back to arch my back and avoid the shuriken, continuing back onto my feet before repeating as more were thrown at me. "Fight me!" Jinx screeched like a harpy, getting uneasily to her feet then ran at me. Damn, the girl doesn't know when she's outmatched.

"Fine." I gave an indifferent shrug then sidestepped, flinging my arm out then flipped her onto her back. "But you realise every time you ever beat me before, I was letting you?" She snarled and tried to get up but I was already running, hurtling around the corner.

The airfield was just a few paces away, however Jinx had raised the alarm. "There! She's there!" I was so going to punch her when I get back. Realising that I now needed to get in the air quickly, a helicopter was my only option. A jet took too long to get into position on the runway and needed the distance to gain speed, a helicopter could get straight into the air and, with the right manoeuvres, was pretty agile.

So I selected one then climbed into the cockpit, rushing through the start up as G.I Joe agents raced onto the airfield, pouring in from all pockets. Up on one of the ramparts I saw Storm Shadow. He was just watching me. As I began to lift off I saw him give a slight nod to me. Did that mean he trusted me too? I hoped it did. Between him and Ripcord, I had a few more friends I knew I could rely on.

Casting my mind to the task at hand, I guided the helicopter out and into the open skies, pushing on the speed to gain some distance. When two other choppers came chasing after me, however, I was glad Ripcord had been my teacher. He was crazy, but an air navigating genius.

With two behind and two more coming up in front from already being in the skies, I banked a hard right, pulling around them then pointed my nose down, aiming directly for the ocean. I held my breath then at the last second pulled up, growling with the effort of controlling this rather awkward machine. The flies pestering me scattered, unable to copy my movements as I flew off, heading towards the nearest landmark where I could disappear.

There was little chance of me actually loosing these guys without taking them down, I had to try and be smart about this and remember everything Ripcord had taught me. Keep moving. I dived into cloud cover, using it to give me the upper hand before shooting out unexpectedly, giving a little wild laugh as the helicopter I had cut across veered sharply away, the panicked faces visible through the windows.

When I heard the missiles being fired, I knew I was in trouble. They had two apiece, which made eight in total. Damn, if I wasn't quick and smart about this, I was sushi. Two missiles fired, basic manoeuvre…get out of the way! I gripped my joystick tightly, grunting with the effort of controlling this big metal trap as I steered out of the way of the missiles, letting them explode into the ocean with a loud boom and bright flash of flames which towered up to my side, forcing me to slide around the plume.

Two down, six to go. I tried to run circles around them, adrenaline pumping through my body with the exhilaration of this one sided battle against the farmer and the turkey. I was the turkey, if you haven't guessed. Two more missiles fired and a concession of another two quickly followed, trying to get me from both in front and behind.

Turning as tightly as I could, I got out of the way just in time before they collided with one another, causing an even larger explosion from before. I could feel the heat burning up against the glass as I powered through it, shaking slightly with relief as I made it through. Only two missiles left.

Leaving it to fate, I knew my luck would soon run out. As I cut through the path between helicopters, I didn't think that the one with the last missiles would be stupid enough to actually fire. Apparently I had underestimated the intelligence of this person.

They had fired but I was already out of the way, leaving the single missile to run into the path of one of the other helicopters who was chasing after me, meaning that it was flying straight into the missile's path. I acted without thinking.

I pulled as hard as I could on the joystick, crying out in alarm as I moved back with all haste, clenching my eyes shut. I heard the chopping of the propellers from the other chopper, meaning that we were practically side to side as the missile hit.

Moving into them sideways on they took out my back propeller, spinning me out of control with nothing to sustain me in the air. Struggling to try and rein in the descent, I glanced up to see the other chopper perfectly undamaged. That was a small success, I guess.

With no other choice I unstrapped myself and let go of the joystick, taking in a deep gulp of air as I waited for the right moment. The second the helicopter had rolled onto its side I flung open the door then dived out, pointing my hands over my head and embraced the possibility of severe pain and sudden death.

The last missile hissed through the air and the chopper blew up behind me, the heat and flames rushing at me just as I entered the water. I cut through the water then continued to swim downwards, putting some distance between myself and the debris which was about to collapse onto my head. My eyes bulged widely as I stared up above me, the bright flames billowing out like a breath of dragon fire before the remnants of my escape fell around me.

I did my best to angle out of the way but the water saved my life, slowing the descent of the heavy objects so that I had more time to swim out of the way. Once again I was grateful for being genetically enhanced, at least I could hold my breath for a while underwater, thanks to Heavy's training.

Knowing that they would soon send subs to come searching for my body, I began to swim like a fish, putting everything I loved dearly behind me to face the cold, vast expanse of the ocean before me. It reminded me of the void.


	18. Chapter 18

**Good to be back, hope you all enjoyed the little surprise twist there but don't worry, there are loads more on the way ;)**

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I was exhausted. I had swam for hours now and even my body was beginning to feel the effects of savage waves and constant swimming. A part of me wanted to give up, to allow the water to swallow me but my more stubborn half of me kept going, pushing me beyond my limits to reach shore. The only thing was, I was pretty sure I'd seen that floating bit of seaweed before.

Without a doubt, I was lost. To conserve energy I allowed the current to drag me wherever it willed me to go, me only needing to keep my head above water. At one point I had swam across a bull shark deep underwater. It had shot at me with terrifying speed but I had kicked up and twisted, landing on its back. I had wrestled with it, punching it the moment it had leaped into the air to let it feel some pain. The shark had thrashed about, trying to shake me off but I held on for dear life, keeping out of reach of those powerful jaws.

Thankfully I had found my way into my belt and withdrew a shuriken, stabbing the sandpaper like skin to draw blood then let go, quickly swimming away because I knew blood would attract more sharks. Now I was just floating on my back, thirsty for dry water and my body screaming for sleep.

That's when I heard the clicks. Instantly I was alert, looking around for where I could hear agile shapes cutting through the water. "Over here! Please come rescue me! Good dolphins!" I yelled, waving my arms wildly at the pod.

They must have sensed me moving in the water because suddenly they were racing towards me. "Yes!" I laughed with relief then took a deep breath, diving underwater to meet them. The pod was large, around twenty dolphins all full matured, though some were a little smaller than the others. They were bottlenose dolphins, I suddenly knew. I remember reading a book about them when I was a child. One of those 'Animals of the World' things. Dolphins had been my favourite animals. Now I knew why.

They circled me, clicking their jaws at me as they tried to figure me out. I stayed perfectly still, allowing them to discern whether or not I was a threat, though I knew that dolphins were notoriously friendly creatures. One of then nudged my hand so I gently rubbed the head, smiling down before waiting patiently.

Another one jabbed me in the back, a little harder. One hit me in the shoulder then another in the gut, all clicking with laughter. Hey! That's not nice! My body hurts enough as it is. They kept on playing their little game. I sometimes pushed back at them but this only encouraged their play more. I don't want to play tag, please just show me how to get to dry land. I was begging silently in my head.

I pretended to play dead, letting myself sink lower into the ocean. Instantly the dolphins seemed to become concerned, nudging me higher up the water before I was exposed to the coolness of the strong breeze, several bodies supporting me with their noses.

They guided me along gently, pushing me towards a specific direction, never wavering off course. Once I felt a little stronger I moved, swimming on my own alongside them, smiling as they all leaped in and out of the water, twisting before tucking back in for entry. I know it was the wrong place and time to be thinking about it, but I began to think about some dance moves to mimic the movements of these dolphins. They seemed to put on a private show for me, leaping up into the air with gleeful clicks before landing elegantly back in. They splashed the water with their tails, spraying me in the process then swam in a circle around me, spiralling closer then further away then closer again.

A gentle body slid underneath me and I gripped onto the fin, grateful for something to lean on and relax completely. With a gentle touch I stroked the female dolphin's left side to give her my thanks. I was startled to find a long scar there, exactly like the one on the first dolphin I had ridden. "Well, I'm going to call you Hope." I whispered to her. "Thank you for coming for me." She clicked in reply, as if trying to talk back to me. "I know. I'm tired too. I'll be sorry if we never meet again but I promise, from now on I'll dedicate my life to saving your oceans. That is if I survive this clash of Cobra and Joes, they both want me dead you see." I explained to her. "But if somehow the Joes do take me back, I'll still do what I can to support the protection of the oceans and the creatures in it. I'll do it as a thank you." I said to her, giving her one last pat before allowing myself to relax into her care.

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The pod took me as close to a harbour as they dared, already having left their territory just for my sake. I said goodbye to them all. "Billy, look after your brother Joey. Veronica, try not to boss little Felicity around so much, she's still only a baby." I cuddled Felicity to me, smiling. "Hope, you take care of everyone, I'm counting on you." I hugged her last since she was the hardest to say goodbye to. "Make sure you tell Douglas how you feel." I kissed her head then swam towards the harbour, keeping low and streamline to blend in with the grey waves.

I was grateful that my entire suit was impervious to erosion, otherwise the salt would have eaten everything away. The gloves were safely tucked away into a waterproof pouch pocket and the guns were waterproof anyway, I would just need to give them both a good clean when I got the chance.

The moment I was on dry land I thought I would cry with relief, my legs were shaking from the joy at being safe on land. I didn't particularly like the vast expanse of water surrounding me on my own, it was slightly terrifying.

Pulling myself together I snuck through the docks, keeping out of sight before disappearing into the city. I was in New York, would you believe it. Perhaps Mother Nature really was on my side. After all, the innocent are innocent until proven guilty. Although technically I was guilty until proven innocent…which didn't really help a lot. Anyway, at least in this neighbourhood, I had a few friends.

I had remembered practically everything now. Even those I had struggled to recall before. Old Jim, Young Jimmy, Petunia, Sabrina, even Max and Michael. Not only that I knew so many others on the street. If they were still around, I could blend in. I was used to being on the streets, being overlooked. It wouldn't be too hard to keep off Hawk's radar for a few days.

I'm pretty sure he'd already figured out that I hadn't died in that explosion, which left me with little time to move. The moment I had returned to the slightly less appealing end of town, I was sprung upon. "Give us your money!" The youngster growled, protruding a small pocket knife which he brandished at me. I snorted.

"Put that away Kyle, before you cut yourself." The skinny ratty haired boy narrowed his eyes then gaped at me.

"Robyn?"

"The one and only." I spread my hands with a smirk. "I can't be exposed, think you can help me hide out for a while?"

"Sure! This way! Wow, it's so great to have you back. Last I heard you were taken by those freaks with the trucks. I'm sorry about the others, I'm guessing they didn't make it." To keep things simple I shook my head.

"No." Kyle and I went back to when he was very young. He's a care kid, not technically homeless but he hung out with characters like us most of the time. I was the one to teach him how to pick locks so that he could get into the sweet cupboard at his home. It stopped the bullying pretty soon.

He was harmless really, a bit like me. Patriotic with his means. He always brought food out to us, whether he stole it from his care home or robbed some rich people from it. We all liked him and when he came crying to us one day at only nine years old, we'd sorted out his problems with the other kids. I was the one to lead the charge. When they saw Kyle with me and a few mean looking guys, who were actually harmless, they were nothing short of impressed and they never picked on him again.

"How have you been keeping Kyle? It's been months."

"It's not the same without you around. People stick to themselves now. Our numbers have fallen since the last kidnapping but the cops don't care about street dwellers like us." He explained, pulling his beanie hat lower over his ragged long locks. "They did nothing about it really."

"Figures." I muttered under my breath. I refused to tell Kyle about what happened, saying that if he knew, then they'd come after him. He was a sensible kid so didn't ask any more questions. He knew when he was out of his depth. He led the way down a narrow alley then banged a fist on the door at the end. "Open up, it's Robyn! She's back!" I heard something crash, a chair falling over, as large footsteps pounded the ground before the door was wrenched open.

"Robyn! You brilliant mastermind!" Roberto, a portly man with a merry twinkle in his eye half bellowed but I hurried to clap my hand over his mouth.

"No one can know I'm alive. This is between us, please?" I begged him with a smile and when he nodded I pulled my hand back and hugged him tightly.

"Oof! You've got some muscle on you now. Look at you! Did anyone tell you how pretty you are?" His Italian accent thickened with his excitement, pulling us both in. "Come! Come! I'll find you food and…" He took a precarious sniff at me. "Have you been swimming?"

"Let's just say I've spent the last ten hours swimming for my life." I stifled a yawn. "I'd really appreciate the hospitality."

"Of course! My wife is upstairs, she will help you draw a bath then we'll find you a bed. You want to stay for some supper, Kyle? It's my famous spaghetti!" Kyle grinned then nodded his head. I trod upstairs, weary to the bone. Roberto owned this hostel for the homeless. He allowed anyone in, as long as they promised not to kick up a fuss or damage anything.

There were limited amounts of space though, which meant there were often queues stretching back around the block to try and get in. I was a particular favourite of Roberto's though. He and I sometimes worked together. If he didn't ask where I got the supplies from, I didn't say.

Jessica, a woman as portly as her husband, helped me draw a bath then found me some dry clothes to change into. She was tough and beefy but she was just as sweet and loving as her husband. She sobbed as she held me in her arms, babbling in Italian as she stroked my salt stained hair crushing me into her large bosom. "It's good to see you too, Jessica." I smiled up at her, straightening up. "I'll be right down." She sniffed.

"I was so worried, I thought you were going to be turned into an experiment subject!" I flinched at the words but didn't show it, keeping my face plastered with the smile I wore.

"Well, I got away and now I'm back for a little while." I assured her then practically had to push her out of the room before I could strip down. I lay out my suit on the floor, checking for any damage before slipping into the bath.

The heat relaxed my muscles and I groaned, washing all salt and smell from my body until I was calm and soothed by the water. I let it drip from my cupped hand, admiring the sparkling light before getting out of the water, having spent a good ten minutes in it. I drained the water away, taking away remnants of sand, salt and heaven knows what else before taking both guns.

I cleaned them carefully, getting all salt evidence out until they were gleaming perfectly at me. Then I did the same for my suit. Once everything was cleaned I folded everything away, tucking the suit, which did not fold extremely well, into a backpack Jessica had picked up for me. She knew I wouldn't be able to stay long. One night at most.

With weapons concealed and my belt around my hips I stepped outside, feeling fresh and slightly less afraid than I had been. Downstairs in the cafeteria I sat down next to Kyle then picked up the jug of water. I lifted it with one hand then drained it all, gulping it down whilst everyone stared at me. "Man. You have no idea how salty the ocean is until you're practically living in it." I remarked, smacking my lips. "That was good."

"You want some more?" Kyle asked, getting up to go fill the jug again.

"I'll do it, you just sit down. Make sure no one steals my seat." I grinned then went over to the tap to fill the water jug again. There were so many faces I recognised but I dared not let anyone recognise me. Keeping small and remaining inconspicuous, I returned to the table with the fresh jug of water before sitting down. When it was our turn to go up for food, I walked behind Kyle, not making eye contact with anybody.

"Ah! Bellissima!" Roberto said to me with a cheeky grin. "It's good to see you fattened up a little more, Isabella." I smiled at him, nodding my head. He was such an intelligent man, did you know that he used to work with top scientists developing drugs and stuff? However he stopped to help out here when the business was bought by a criminal drug dealer, planning to sell the drugs on the streets as dope.

"It's good to feel fatter." I replied, accenting my voice to keep it unrecognisable. "Thank you, it smells wonderful." With one last smile I followed Kyle back.

"I guess we won't see you for a while after tomorrow." Kyle said to me. "Moving on and all."

"Have to keep moving. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer Kyle." I said, giving him a quick one armed hug as I knew he didn't feel comfortable with prolonged contact. We finished the food, which was amazing by the way, I wished Roberto would open up his own restaurant like he always dreamed. I knew he wanted to in the past but this place sort of took over when he couldn't afford the deposit on the restaurant he was intending to buy.

Good people like Roberto and Jessica deserved their dreams. Why was life so unfair to loving, caring and kind people like them? Sighing with weariness I finished my food, said one last goodbye to Jessica, Roberto and Kyle before heading upstairs. I could hear Kyle chasing after me so I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned, waiting for him. "Wait!" He skidded to a halt in front of me then blushed deeply. "I just…wanted to tell you I don't want you to leave." He said then looked up at me. Awkwardly he placed his arms around me and gave me a weak hug.

I caught his waist and pulled him closer to me, smiling into him. When I pulled away I reached into my boot and drew a knife I had managed to swipe sometime in my escape from Joe headquarters. It was an army knife, finely sharpened and well taken care of. "This is for you." Slowly Kyle reached out for it but I drew it back slightly. "It's not for killing, or maiming. You hear? I want you to protect yourself, but that's all. That rusty thing you call a knife couldn't gut a fish. There's some dangerous people out there, so you'd better keep your eyes and ears open."

I took his hand then placed the knife into his palm, folding his fingers over. "Responsibility like this comes with maturity. You need to know the difference between right and wrong, the different forks in the road." I said to him, gripping his shoulder. "I can't protect you forever, but you can. Make sure those kids back home stay off the streets. Show them what life is really about." Leaning forwards I kissed his teenaged flecked skin, making him blush the colour of beetroot. "I'm counting on you."

"I won't let you down. I'll make something of myself. I promise. Maybe I'll go into the army, then I'll really get to do something good." I smiled proudly at him then watched as he walked away.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll make a fine Joe one day."


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks for all the positive feedback everyone, I am really enjoying writing this all for you.**

_**aoa1012 - **_**I see what you mean that Snake and Storm would have been the most likely to take Robyn's side, which is why I put in that as Robyn was taking off, Storm Shadow gave her a little nod which I meant as a sign to show that he was on her side. As for Snake Eyes, his reasons behind not believing Robyn was more to do with the hurt that clouds his judgment. All will be explained, don't worry!**

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The bed was comfortable and I was reluctant to leave it but I had work to do. There was only one person I could go to for help. The only thing was, he'd do one of three things. He'd either listen to me, turn me over to Hawk or just shoot me in the head and have it over with. Yup. I'm going to see General Joe.

If there was anyone who could sniff out a rat it was him, and I wasn't a rat so hopefully he'd opt for the former and listen to me. I had to prove I was innocent somehow and he was the only one who could help me. Plus it was the last thing Hawk would expect me to do.

I knew he had eyes on cameras at all times, searching for matches so I travelled quickly, keeping out of sight until I had found a train to take me to the state where Joe lived. I knew a train was risky, with all the security feeds but I could hardly take a plane and a cabbie would only laugh at me if I gave him the address, then probably offer to take me to the nut house.

So train it was. At least I was rather skilled at avoiding being noticed. The key was to look normal. I was wearing the new clothes Jessica had given me, a simple black tank top and some tracksuit bottoms. I had stolen someone's trainers and left my boots there as a replacement at the hostel, knowing that they would be recognised as army issues. I hoped the girl wouldn't mind, the boots would definitely keep he warmer at least than these tatty old things. Also, you needed to blend in with the crowds.

For most of the trip I chatted with a nice young lady with her three kids. They were going to visit their grandparents on a ranch farm. When I told them my dad was a rancher they were instantly asking questions. I did have to explain that we had had to sell when I was very young, so I didn't remember much but the three girls were happy to just discuss horses with me.

When security guards glanced over the crowds, they hardly even looked at me as I walked out, smiling and chatting with the nice lady whilst her three kids skipped about us in their pink coats. Sure, she'd been a little uneasy about me at first, stranger danger and all, but when I told her about being in the army, she warmed up to me. Her husband was serving with the navy, so she had I had a lot to discuss about and she got a few things off her chest.

She was worried, bless her heart. Her husband, Dominic Matthews, was missing at sea. She hadn't told the girls but definitely hinted at it to me. Susie, the lady, hadn't had a letter in weeks until a few days ago when she got a notification from the government. To keep her mind of it, she was going up to see her mother but I could tell she was fearing the worse. I made a mental note of the name before we parted ways.

I took a cab, gave him the address then slept for the entire journey. It had been a total sixteen hours, forty two minutes and seventeen seconds since Commander's demand. That left a total thirty one hours, seventeen minutes and forty three seconds to save the world. Brilliant. Just brilliant. What was my plan again? Walk into the house of a top Joe agent who was the first and original and would be pretty hacked off a labelled traitor was asking him for help.

Uh oh, we're here. Sucking in a deep breath I paid the cabman with the money I had stolen from a very wealthy looking guy who had worn three watches at once, all of them worth a fortune. Getting out the car I looked around, glad that it was dark before walking up to the house. I knocked on the door, figuring I'd better get this over with.

For a long time the door didn't open and I guessed that the General was checking my records. Boy was he in for a shock. Sure enough when the door did swing open, a gun was pointed at my head. Instantly I raised my hands but did so slowly, meeting his hard look evenly.

"Get in." He ordered and I moved forwards, keeping a good distance away from him so that he didn't think I was going to try anything. He kicked the door shut and I swallowed the bile skipping to my throat as he switched on a light to see me properly. He glared at me, blue eyes narrowed dangerously. He was a grim looking person, hardened by his years of military service, but he looked reasonable. Sort of. "You've got some balls coming here."

"I need your help." I tried but he only snorted.

"Why should I listen to you? You're a traitor to the division I founded." He inched closer with a threatening gleam in his eye. "What makes you think I won't blow out your brains then blend it to make a juice?" I gave a little shrug.

"I'm still alive and you haven't called Hawk yet, which means you want to listen." For a long time he just watched me. I knew he was trying to break me, to worm out the liar in me but I remained perfectly calm, not even dropping a sweat. "Alright." He relented but did not ease off his position. "You got ten seconds before I blow a hole through your skull." I began to talk faster than I ever talked before.

"Cobra's set me up to look like a traitor but I would never do something like that to harm my team. They're using an army of mutated humans to take over the world so that all power goes to Cobra Commander, who is going to take out a target anyway to prove that he's serious about his threat and wouldn't you know? He's after the President because of all the bad blood running over the bridge. Now I think he saw me as a threat because I can physically defeat him and his little pets without getting seriously hurt so he's cut me off from all support, you know divide and conquer tactic but then I think he kind of hoped that I would come running back to him and then he'd use me to take down G.I Joe which is going to happen over my dead body because they're more than just my team. They're my family." I gasped for breath then waited for my sentence. General Joe cocked his head slightly, frowning deep in thought before standing up straight.

"Okay." Instantly I made a small sound of relief.

"Thank you sir." I saluted him. "Robyn, reporting for duty." He nodded to me, walking through to his kitchen. He pushed some pasta at me, still in the pan and I began to wolf it down hungrily.

"I'm impressed. How did you survive the missile blast?" He asked, watching me with a calculating eye.

"Dived out the door on rotation point. Swam for a few hours then got saved by a pod of dolphins. Am I a lucky girl? Yes I am." I answered him between mouthfuls. "So, the thing is, I suck at planning things. I tend to prefer following orders. This is why I came to you. I knew that if any Joe was threatened, you'd be the first to want to be out there saving the world." I continued. "Any ideas?"

"I'll think of something. Get some rest. I'll wake you once I have a plan." He said then pointed to the couch. "Make yourself comfortable." I didn't need to be told twice. I collapsed on that sofa and slept from the moment my head hit the armrest to the next when General Joe was shaking me awake.

"I have a plan."

"Great." I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Does it include me possibly going straight up to Commander and asking what_ he_ has planned?" When I read the General's blank expression, I cursed. "I was hoping for something a little more…original." I sighed then stood up.

"I'm going to send you in with a bug. You're going to plant it on a computer and it'll instantly start downloading all the information stored on the hard drive. Here, I'll show you." He led me over to his computer then pulled it around to show me the point I needed to attach the bug to. The "bug" as it were, was just a tiny black bead but General Joe assured me it'll activate the moment it comes into contact with the computer, using electromagnetic waves or something.

"He wants you alive for something. Commander intended to get you to escape from us so that you would either be out of his way or come running to him. That's exactly what you're going to do."

"Oh joy." I muttered under my breath.

"Once you've attached this bug, we'll know every detail of his plans from where he's going to book his next flight to when he wants the plumbers to come in." Joe assured me, throwing out a map of the Whitehouse. "He'll be expecting to take the President by surprise but the Joes already have him under their wing. He's well protected."

"He's well-armed." I parried. "If we can't figure out how to stop the mutants from getting to the President then we'll have no hope. They're ten times stronger, faster and have no concept of morality. They've been doped with the nanomites the Commander developed for McCullen, so they're completely under his control." General Joe thought for a while longer, looking over the map before to the computer.

"Is there a way to shut them off?"

"The nanomites?" He nodded. "I don't know." Pausing I thought for a second. "I could try finding out? Snoop around his labs and see what I can squeeze out of his little lab rats. There may be a way to block the wave signals from the recipient to the source therefore meaning that Commander would lose all control over the mutants, slowing them down a little." Blinking in shock I laughed. "I sounded smart. That's a first."

"Would they stop fighting?" I shrugged.

"They're all inmates from one of the strongest prisons this world has to offer. You think they'd walk over and shake the President's hand?"

"Point taken." We finalised the plan, going over every single detail until I could sing it to the Beach Boys Bohemian Rhapsody. Not literally but you know what I mean. The last thing to do was for me to get myself noticed by Cobra.

"I have an idea." I looked up to Joe who met my gaze. "It's risky, the military might get me first but it could work."

"What?" I gave a small grin.

"I'll do my part, you just make sure you're there to haul my ass out at the end of all this." My face dropped and suddenly I felt like a six year old child again, struggling to keep my emotions in check. "At the end of the day, I just want to go home."


	20. Chapter 20

**Warning, this is kind of a long chapter, but hopefully it's good content, so oh well! Happy reading everybody!**

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Walking down the middle of the road I sighed, looking around before drawing a gun. Instantly people were screaming. "Gun! She's got a gun!"

"That's right bitch." I murmured then clicked the first panel on my gun, feeling it give a tiny jolt as the mechanism switched around. Turning around I aimed carefully at the Whitehouse from the other side of the gate, I fired a single shot, aiming for one of the pillars.

The target was struck and it shattered into fine dust particles, people screaming to get out of the way. I hoped no one was hurt, I was just glad for the _extremely_ long range of this weapon Spanner made me. I made a mental note to thank me later.

The sound of screeching wheels pricked at my ears, making me turn around. A black van jerked to a halt beside me and several men jumped out the back, grabbing me and forcing me into the back though I didn't struggle. I was gagged, disarmed and cuffed. I simply sat there in silence, meditating calmly. The men all stared at me, frowning.

"What's she doing?"

"She's meditating, right? What was she thinking anyway? She must've known Cobra Commander wants her in?"

"Maybe that's her point, dumbass." I ignored the next argument, keeping calm, steady breaths. The ride wasn't very long, though we took plenty of sharp turns and we were going pretty fast. At one time I sneezed and the motion instantly had several guns pointed at my head. After a moment of me returning to meditating, they relaxed.

"Stupid woman." Shut up dork or I'll kick you so hard up your ass, you won't be able to sit down for months. Or ever. Finally we pulled to a halt and I was glad when the door was flung open, allowing fresh air into the back. These guys stank. What I wasn't expecting though, was Sabrina to be leaning against the door, smirking as she picked at her delicate claws. "Hello Robyn." She purred, looking up at me with her cat-like eyes. "I hope you're comfortable." I didn't even bother answering. I got out the van then proceeded to walk towards the only entrance into the building.

We were at an old factory, the windows all smashed and the brickwork decorated with graffiti from years of abuse. Sabrina bounded to catch up to me, hissing. "Where do you think you're going?" I mumbled into my gag. "What?" I repeated what I said, this time a little louder but not one coherent word left through the gag.

Lifting her hand Sabrina curled a finger under my gag then lifted it down. "I need the bathroom." I stated simply with utter seriousness. Sabrina blinked then narrowed her eyes, looking at me closely before turning, flicking her tail with irritation. It wasn't black like I had originally thought. It was a dark brown with gingery tones, black stripes and a white tip. I resisted the urge to stroke the soft fur.

Sabrina led me inside and up to the top floor where the majority of lab work was happening. I glanced into every room discreetly, trying to see what was happening. I didn't have a clue so I was none the wiser. They were all either working on laptops, mixing chemicals or looking into microscopes with fascinated expressions.

At the far end, however, I could smell Cobra Commander. His office. Sabrina didn't bother knocking, she walked straight inside, her paws never making a sound. Commander was sitting in his leather chair, facing out the broken window down upon his workers as they laboured.

I had seen what's down there. It didn't look good. There were rows upon rows of metal rods with sharp jaws clamped around a centre piece which was shaped into the cobra's eye. When Sabrina cleared her throat, the chair turned around. He was still as frightening as before. I don't think I'll ever get over my fear of him, he burned too bright in my memory to ever forget.

Lifting my chin I kept my face void of all expression. "So, my first successful experiment has returned." I looked at him through that ghastly mask as his deep mechanical voice sent invisible shivers down my spine.

"Why am I subject forty-three?" I asked him suddenly, surprising him.

"Excuse me?" He backtracked, lacing his fingers together on his desk has he leaned forwards.

"You named me subject forty three but then you said I was your first successful human experiment. Where did all the other numbers go?" There was a long silence and for a while I wondered if he was ever going to answer.

"We tested on plants and animals first."

"You cared that much?"

"I had to be sure that mutation was possible." He replied with a sharp tone to his voice. "Now, why have you come here?"

"I didn't." He balked again. "I was shoved in a van. Technically, you kidnapped me. Though I did intend to find you so I suppose I'll drop those charges against you." I continued. "What I really want to know is how I can help."

"Help? You want to help me?" I gave a little shrug then scowled at him.

"After you're little hint to the Joes, they cast me down into a cell without even allowing me to share my side of the story. My closest friends turned on me. You think I'd want to stick around with muck like them?" I'd kick myself for those insults later, right now they were necessary.

"You seemed perfectly happy with them a few weeks ago." Commander answered easily. "And you swore an oath to kill me, no doubt. Why should I believe you?" I lifted my cuffed hands with a blank face.

"I'll show you." There was a hesitation before Commander nodded. Sabrina produced the keys to my release from these stupid handcuffs. Once they were off I massaged my wrists, nursing them.

"I'm waiting." With a sigh I reached into my belt. Sabrina twitched and hissed, moving protectively towards Commander but I showed her the folded wads of paper to proof they weren't dangerous. After sniffing them curiously, she nodded and let me pass. I dropped them onto the desk and Commander deftly picked them up by the corner as if they were infected, folding them whilst maintaining minimal contact at all times. He read through my scrawled notes I had put together.

They contained a list of the guard patrols, the movements of the President and the plans G.I Joe had to extract him from the country for his own protection. Glancing up at me he laughed then tossed my sheets of notes into the trash. "I already know all this."

"Ah, but did you know about the decoys?" I parried. The Commander stiffened then grabbed the sheets back, reading through them.

"How do you know this?"

"Hey, you're the one who genetically enhanced me, let's just say a little intelligence with it. I now know how to hack computers. Especially since the one who taught me how to do it was the one who made most of the system. I found out all I could before he threw me out again." The Commander regarded me for a long time, tapping his finger on the single sheet of paper that had proved useful, the three decoys and their locations with plans of extraction.

"Sabrina, take her to a room and lock her in. We'll continue testing on her to see how well our progress developed. Don't worry, it won't hurt." He shot at me. "Then we'll see what to do with you." With that he turned to his computer and brought someone up on screen. "Malloy, we're accelerating our plans. Have every beacon positioned within the hour…moving plans…little surprise…an hour." That didn't sound good. Beacons? I mauled this news over as Sabrina gripped my arm tightly, digging her claws in. Thankfully my suit didn't scratch.

After a long time of silence, Sabrina finally spoke. "Did you…really know me…before?" I looked at her with a frown. What did she mean? "I can't remember much, but I do know your face. Cobra Commander told me you were the one to give me to him then abandoned me. He said I was dying of a brain tumour and this was the only way to save me."

"No." I answered simply. "I didn't abandon you. I was taken with you. I tried to run away with you but I wasn't good enough back then." Keeping things simple and my tone soft, I glanced to her. "I like the tail. It looks good on you." Her eyes narrowed sharply, trying to detect my sarcasm but I merely offered a small smile. We stopped outside my new prison room.

"Listen…I know things look bad but I promise, I didn't leave you." I told her, turning to face her fully. "I tried to give myself up first for the experiment so that you'd have more time but it didn't work out the way I planned." Her face twisted into confusion and agitation, twitching the way I used to when memories resurfaced. "If you ever want to talk about your past." I looked around the room. "Well, I'm not going anywhere." She slammed the door shut in my face.

I turned away, paused then began to count. "Three, two….one." The door opened again.

"Alright. I'm listening." I turned a happy smile to Sabrina who kicked the door shut behind her then folded her arms over her chest. I sat down on the floor to make myself comfortable then after a while, she did the same. I began with everything I knew about her, from her favourite colour to her old habits.

"You used to bite your nails all the time and I would tell you off because it's a bad habit. We lived on the streets together for about five years, you using your charm to distract wealthy mommy's boys whilst I picked their pockets. We were a great team." I explained to her. I went through everything, our first meeting, every escape from the cops, the trials we faced, the friends we made all the way up into the moment I last heard her scream.

"He told me you were dead." I sniffed, trying my best not to get emotional. "I wouldn't have left you had I know you were alive but Commander had already shifted out everything he wanted. Obviously you were part of that cargo." Sabrina just stared at the floor, her hands cupped in her hands. Then she lifted her head, tears in her eyes.

"Did I like chocolate cake?" I laughed, smiling brightly. She sounded a little like she used to, sweet and gentle.

"Yes. You loved it. I would buy you some from a café every birthday and Christmas and you would buy me a lemon meringue pie." I recounted and she smiled slightly.

"I like chocolate cake still." Sabrina told me, licking her lips. "It's the most delicious thing I've ever tasted." She inched closer, a soft purr rumbling in her throat. As she gained a little confidence she eventually lowered her head to my lap and purred loudly, rubbing her head into my hand so I stroked her hair then tickled her behind the ears, making her purr louder. I smiled warmly, holding my friend closer.

When I heard footsteps approaching, Sabrina sat up, looked to me then smiled. She stood and went to the door, opening it as the man reaching for the handle blinked in surprise. "I'll help you get her set up. She's slippery." She shot me a dark look but I saw the gleam in her eyes and tug on her lips. Sabrina was slowly coming back. It was a start at least.

I didn't fight as I was led to a lab. The man forced me to lay down on a hard, uncomfortable bed and then strapped me down. Instantly I tugged on them. "What's going on?"

"We're just going to analyse your brain patterns." One of the scientists said. "That and other things." He turned around, holding a very sharp dissecting tool. Hell no! I didn't move though, I needed to get to the computer over there on the other side of the room. Without witnesses. Sabrina cast a nervous glance around before looking at me. I gave as much as a nod as I could before she reluctantly left. It felt good to have her halfway back to my side.

Focussing on task I waited until the scientist had dismissed my guard. "We're not to be disturbed. Understood?"

"Yes sir." He nodded then left without another word. I waited, glaring at the man who was now walking towards me, pushing a trolley full of frightening equipment, all shining under the dim, cobweb dusted lamp. He wore a butcher's apron already splattered with blood. "Let's see how well your body has been improved." He went for me with a knife to take some of my brain tissue.

My arms bulged with muscle and I ripped off the restrains, snarling softly as I gripped both the doctor's wrist and his neck, squeezing so that he couldn't scream for help. Once I'd tugged my ankles free with a sharp pull, I swung around, guiding the doctor backwards. "As you can see, I'm very much improved." I answered then knocked him out by slamming my skull against his.

I considered spitting on him but I restrained myself. I wasn't going to sink that low. Once he was gagged and bound it pulled on my earring, tossed away the back then unscrewed the bug, discarding the metal piece before heading over to the computer. It shot from my hand and locked into place. Instantly the screen was alight and scrolling through all databases, streaming the information through to General Joe who was probably not too far away. My eyes read a few of the pages as they were quickly snatched away. The computers were all linked together by one circuit or hardwire, carrying all the information. I guess in the Commander's haste to set up his little project, he didn't think too far into security.

Once the download was done I scrolled through a few things myself. I tried to find out exactly what those beacon things were. I didn't like what I found out. They were electromagnetic shockwaves containing the exact frequency which triggered genetic mutation in everyone affected. It looks like Cobra Commander wasn't relying on chips anymore.

But how will he keep control over them? If everyone begins to mutate, he'll need a place where he can operate the controls, altering everyone hit by the waves. It would have to be out of range so that he wasn't hit by the blast. Somewhere with enough power to reach the beacons and trigger the effect.

Gah, this thinking was hurting my brain. When I heard the shouts in the distance, I knew that I was running out of time. They were moving out for the attack. Hurrying, a plan jumbled into my mind. I began to trace a signal to someone whom I knew could help. Praying it would work, I hit enter.

The screen went fuzzy for a second, the download bar scrolling down as I waited with berated breath. This had to work. Please work. Everything would fail if this didn't work.

"Who the hell is waking me up in-AAAAHHHHH!" Spanner screamed as he saw my image on his screen. "Go away!"

"No please Spanner! The world needs you!" I called desperately, hoping that I could appeal to his sense of pride. He paused, arching an oversized eyebrow at me.

"Huh?" I exhaled with relief.

"I don't have much time. You have to warn Hawk that Cobra are going to trigger the frequencies triggering genetic mutation using beacons around the Whitehouse. The total range is over two hundred kilometres square distance, meaning everyone within that range will then be under the control of Cobra." Spanner scratched his head then picked his nose. Gross. He was still listening though. "I need you to cause a jamming signal which will block the receivers at the beacons with an equal range. I'm sending you the information you need now." I copied the information then send it through the wormhole I had created in his system.

"Hmm…this is fascinating." Spanner said, reading through. "Absolutely genius. Yes, yes, I can see how that would work. Obviously stimulating the genes at a vibration at the right frequency causes them to generate enough energy to…"

"Spanner! No time! I need you to help me save the world!" I reminded him.

"Right! I'm on it." He began to furiously counteract the frequency, dragging a board over and scribbling calculations on.

"Hurry, please? We don't have enough time as it is."

"I'm trying! Be patient." He growled. "I'll need a device to transmit the signal through."

"How about the radio stations? Link with the satellites? You're the genius here! I'm just the brawn!" I hyperventilated then clamped my mouth shut, wriggling as Spanner began to work at record speed. I was stuck now, did he need anything else?

"In theory I can produce a signal that can block the one transmitting from Cobra's central station, maybe with enough power I could disrupt the transmit enough to power down the beacons. Let's have a think. However those already mutated might be effected by the waves as their DNA has already been forced into change, meaning they could possibly still be radiating the same frequency, which will, in effect, knock them out with the power I'm going to have to produce to get the signal to override the other. Oh, apart from you. You'll die." Spanner said to me bluntly. What? "So if I were you, I'd leave this to me and get out of Washington."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not until the President is safe." I replied instantly and stubbornly. "I'll leave you to it. You have less than an hour. Forty minutes maybe, maybe less."

"Don't worry. This is nothing." He snorted at me, wiping his nose then scratching his ass. "Just do whatever it is you brawn types do." Nodding my head I did as he suggested.

"Thanks Spanner, I owe you one!"

"Of course you do!" He yelled back but I was already out the door. I followed Sabrina's scent first, hoping to find her and convince her to come with me but she was gone. All the mutants were shipped out and were heading to the Whitehouse where the President was busy negotiating with other world leaders about what to do with this crisis.

I smelled my own scent. Turning my head I followed it then found a locked room where I knew my equipment was inside. Although I had little time, I could also smell the grenades and exploding devices inside. I ripped the door open easily then grinned. My belt and guns. The idiots didn't think to take my gloves so I still had them. I knew time was of the essence but I needed to destroy this place.

Grabbing all the grenades I could carry and clipping a few to my belt also. I ran along the corridor, pulling the pins then kicking doors open to throw them inside. I didn't care who was in there. Those doctors and scientists didn't deserve retribution after putting people through all this, carving them up like meat on the market. I didn't care one bit.

Okay, maybe a little. "Get your asses out of here!" I roared. Then I threw the grenades. With everyone running and screaming in fear as the explosions boomed through the ancient factory that I was now turning to rubble. With enough power to blow through a tank, I raced for the window then leaped, tucking myself up and covered my head with my arms.

The glass shattered and the few guards left to protect the labs and whatnot. I fell three storeys down, landing in a break fall on top of a truck then ran up its length, escaping the bullets now being fired at me but I was too fast for their slow reactions. I jumped off the roof and swung into the truck, turning the key in the ignition then put it into first, getting it started before getting out of there as fast as I could, the sound of explosions bellowing in my ears as the golden flames blew through the labs.

A satisfied smirk graced my lips. I drove this big ass truck through the streets of Washington, slamming my palm on the horn to warn people that I was crazy and would run them over if they didn't get out of my way. They got the message. With all speed I drove to the Whitehouse, thankfully able to find my way because of those insane tests Scarlet would always give me.

Who knew knowing the entire geographical layout of Washington DC would come in handy? I'll thank Scarlet later. Not wasting any time I pulled hard on the wheel, skidding around the corner and burning the tyres in the process, the horrid smell of rubber filling my nose.

Strangely the streets around the Whitehouse seemed to be deserted, apart from the screaming people running away. Crap, it had already started. With my foot on the gas I powered towards the back of the Whitehouse, holding my breath practically all the way. I knew there was a field there, I could turn this monster around.

I did so, tightly and very messily, totally screwing up the grass but I'd return to being the nature freak later. At the moment, I have a few other things on my mind. Foot down, I rammed the gates. The truck totally obliterated the iron gates, smashing the front in the process but as it rolled onto its side, it threatened to take out a few of those mutants I seemed to be related to.

Not wanting to risk injury I jumped out of the door, rolling as I hit the ground. My ribcage burned for a moment before my healing regeneration kicked in and after a few struggling breaths, I was fine. Leaping up to my feet, I charged forwards. I left my guns in my holsters, turning on my gloves instead. The fist mutated human to run at me was a boar, grunting with lowered tusks.

I barrel leaped over him, touching his shoulder with my right hand and sent an electric shock through his body, making him squeal before falling unconscious on the floor. The brilliant glow of blue waved before me as I pushed back a lioness then kicked a tiger in the face, flipping him over whilst shocking him before racing for the Whitehouse.

They all snarled and howled at me, trying to take me on but my modern and classical training in the arts of fighting proved me too great an adversary for their dumb and useless attacks. They were literally animals. It was heart wrenching to see. At least they weren't barbaric with their prey.

Some agents, both army, F.B.I and Joes held their ground, keeping back the attacks but some were climbing up the walls. No one shot at me, which was a relief, so I raced towards the nearest mutant climbing the wall then leaped up, dragging him back down.

After shocking him into paralysis, I got up. "Where's the president?" I demanded. "We need to evacuate the city. There's going to be a mass genetic mutation signal at any moment. It'll turn us all into things like that." I pointed to a lion who was running at my back. I whirled around and flipped back over my head, stretching out my legs to strike him down then quickly touched his arm.

A few men were already talking into their comm. links. One of them looked to me. "The president is secure."

"We need to get him into the air. I'll locate him." I said then turned as a young voice cried out.

"It's back!" Suddenly everyone moved up the steps to higher ground, shouting for those in the field to get back. I saw what they were looking at. A bull was charging towards them. It was a strange looking creature, rather hideous. The thick horns twisted out from the side of the enlarged human head, the shoulders practically dwarfing the rest of its body as it ran on all fours, snorting with blood red rage.

I ran at it. "Wait! Come back!"

"Are you crazy?"

"Hell yeah!" I bellowed then opened my hands. The moment the bull and I collided, I dropped on one knee and turned, lifting it up by its horns. The agents all stared at me in shock as I stood, lifting this bull man literally off the ground then tossed him into the dirt like it was nothing. I slammed both palms into its chest just to be sure it was knocked out. "The President." I growled, reminding them of our priority. I leaped up the walls, grabbed onto a window sill then smashed my way through. "Ally!" I called out, lifting my hands as the guns pointed at me. They lowered their weapons when they saw I was human. Little did they know.

"Robyn?"

"Jaye?" I stood and looked at her, surprised to see her here. "What…never mind. Flint! Good to see you. I need you both to come with me, we're getting the President out of here." They both looked at each other, wondering whether or not to shoot me in the head there and then before finally, they nodded. I led the way out of the room, flanked by Flint and Jaye.

With no scent to follow which I knew to be the President's, I assumed it would be the one with many others around it all moving in the same direction. I saw reports on screen. There were hundreds of mutant men roaming the streets, tearing everything apart and smashing everything to pieces. My rage burned brighter.

"What's going on, Robyn? I thought you were an informant." Flint said to me, keeping his sniper raised at all times. Partially at me to ensure I didn't try anything.

"I would never betray my family." I growled at him, glancing back. "They're the only ones I have left. Now we're getting the President out of Washington before Cobra sets off a signal which will turn everyone within range into his little puppet.

"He can do that? I thought he needed a chip to implant into the person to be able to control their gene mutation." Lady Jaye said to me as we turned and ran up a flight of stairs.

"He's managed to turn the signal into a beacon. I'm no genius but if he gets the President under his control then I'm pretty sure he becomes the most powerful person in the world."

When I got to a door with voices on the other side, I knocked. Everything went silent. "Mr President? I'm sorry to interrupt but we need you in the air. You're not safe here." I kicked the doors open then stepped through, shocked faces and the barrels of guns aimed at me. "Please, come with me. You're in danger here." I told the older gentleman with pale white hair thinned to the extreme yet his skin and features were just as soft looking. He reminded me of your typical, huggable grandpa.

"What is our situation?"

"We're struggling to keep the mutants at bay and there is about to be an electromagnetic pulse emitted from beacons around the city. They'll transform all of Washington's inhabitants into people like them." I pointed out the window. "Please sir, come now." I glanced around the others then sighed before gesturing to Flint and Jaye. "General Hawk commands us." This got him to his feet.

"Do as she says. Have my helicopter readied immediately." He ordered, straightening his jacket then walked to my side. "How do you suggest we get to our transportation?" I knew he wasn't going to like it so I refrained from telling him all of it.

"Have it land as close to the front as you can. We'll need your agents covering you whilst I escort you over. We'll keep the intruders away and get you out of the city. Flint, Jaye, you take front point and keep anything away from the chopper, I'll take care of the President." They nodded, eyes dark and focused on their mission. The President looked to me then spoke.

"My people?"

"I've already given out a warning and General Hawk has been notified." I explained as we strode along, someone talking into their jacket mouthpiece to arrange the transport behind me. "The order should already be issued for evacuation."

"What's your name, agent?" He asked me. "I do not believe we have met before."

"No sir. Can I just say it's an honour to meet you finally." I smiled at him, one hand gripping his arm. Don't worry, I turned off my glove in that hand. "My name is Agent Robyn, I'm a new recruit."

"I see. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you to Hawk."

"I'd really appreciate that, sir." I said. Who knows, it might clear my apparently tarnished name. The helicopter was already waiting to land when we got to the front. "Allow it to land, we're going out there." I called. "Protect the President, cover all sides." Then the doors were pushed open. I held the president back for a moment, allowing the other agents to go back. Flint and Jaye charged forwards, turning and shooting volleys before circling around the chopper, keeping it clean of all mutants. Occasional other shots fired but nothing filtered through and the path was direct to the chopper as it landed.

"I hope you'll forgive me for this sir." I said to the smaller man then all at once, lifted him onto my shoulder. I raced outside, covering four strides to the length of one man's. The chopper was suddenly in front of me and the door opened, allowing the president inside. Barely fifteen minutes ago I had been at that factory blowing it up to kingdom come. The President looked a little surprised but not insulted by me carrying him over so I made sure he was in safe hands before pulling away. A wolf hybrid leaped at me, opening the elongated snout to aim for my throat.

With a powerful punch I cracked his jaw then knocked him out as Jaye shot him. I gave her a nod of thanks. Drawing a gun I shot down three more as they tried to race over. I was about to climb into the chopper when I caught Sabrina's scent. I whirled around, seeing someone aiming to shoot but she was jogging over to me, smiling brightly but a little nervously.

"No! Don't shoot!" I bellowed then flung myself in front of her. No bullet fired. "You need to get out of here." I said to her, wrenching the door open as the chopper prepared to take off.

"But…"

"Please trust me. If you stay here, I don't know what the counter signal will do to you. Spanner said it would knock everyone else out but you and I were just tests, experiments. It could kill us." I shoved her into the chopper, much to the President's surprise. "Keep him safe. Promise me."

"Yes, of course. Just come with me." There wasn't enough room in the chopper. I gave Sabrina one last look before tearing myself away. "Robyn! Robyn you can't die! We only just found each other again. Robyn!" I rolled the door shut then nodded to the pilot who turned and lifted off.

So the battle continued. My bullets fired left right and centre, Flint and Jaye at my back so that we moved in a circular motion as we moved back to the Whitehouse. At one point I had been so overrun that a wolf man had managed to clamp its jaws onto my shoulder. He tore me backwards and flung me to the floor but I was on my feet again, bouncing back.

The battle was going poorly, we were losing men fast but then, the signal started. Men and women everywhere dropped down to the floor and screamed, grabbing their ears whilst writhing on the floor. I pitied them, knowing how it felt. All who were left had retreated into the Whitehouse and now I was the only one guarding the door, shooting to keep everyone back. Jaye and Flint screamed and I wanted to go over and comfort them but I couldn't leave the door.

Once I had a brief window opening I slammed the door shut then dragged a metal cabinet across, pressing my back into it and digging in my heels to keep them out for as long as I could. Where was Spanner and his ingenious counter signal? We kinda needed it now!

Flint looked up at me. He was sweating but somehow he was managing to crawl towards me, grunting and hissing with every movement. My eyes glanced over the last men and women to have survived through this attack. I had to draw the mutants away from them. "I'm going to slip through. Push the cabinet back after me." I said to Flint, who looked up at me with sweat pouring from his brow. He nodded his head then arched his back, rolling as he gave out another cry of pain.

Once he was in position I shifted the cabinet back a little. Fists were ploughing through the door, trying to rip it open so I barrelled through, using my weakly charged gloves to give them a little shock and clear away. "Come get me!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs, feeling the last of the charge go into a lioness as she snarled at me.

Propelling myself into the air I hopped over their heads, using their shoulders to jump from position to position until I was behind them. "I'll keep this simple. I run…you chase." I taunted then sprinted outside. With a hideous array of roars and howls, the last of the mutants chased after me. Despite being genetically enhanced, I wasn't faster than these guys, especially the cheetahs. I had to duck and weave to evade capture but in the end, I knew it was pointless. I was going to die anyway.

Without warning a large paw swung out and my feet were dragged from underneath me, causing me to collapse and crumble to the floor. I spun around, throwing my arms over my head in a weak attempt to protect myself from the claws and fangs I knew were going to be digging into my flesh at any second.

After a brief moment I heard a shrill sound in my ears. It was painful, making my head compress with pressure until it made my vision impair. All at once, the pain hit me. I screamed aloud, writhing on the floor as I felt every atom in my body begin to shake and tremble, squeezing tighter and tighter until I couldn't breathe.

Clawing at my throat my vision throbbed from focus to distortion, allowing me to see all the other mutants knocked out on the ground, occasionally twitching but other than that, not in pain. I lay there, screaming and crying from the pain that wrecked my body. It wasn't fair, I didn't want this, I wanted to be home at Joe Headquarters playing ping pong with Rip and Duke.

Although, I did save Sabrina. That meant something at least. She was safe and out of danger which was all that really mattered. As another wave slammed into me I rolled, trying to escape it then contorted my body into all shapes and angles, trying to move away from the pain but no matter how I moved, it was always with me.

That's when I heard the gentle rush of a jet hovering above me and the running rope lowering someone down. "Robyn!" Duke? Was that Duke? What was he doing here? He's supposed to be going after Cobra! "Robyn I got you. I got you." Solid arms grabbed me and I was lifted off the ground, still crying out and twisting violently but he held me tight.

We shoot up into the air and the murmuring engines got louder, ringing in my exploding eardrums. "Listen to me Robyn. You're gonna be okay. We're getting you out of here."

"Cobra…Cobra…" I tried to tell him but all that I could managed was another shriek. The moment I was inside, I could hear distant but familiar voices.

"Get us out of here Rip!" Scarlet yelled at her boyfriend and the jet shot forwards, carrying me away from the signal's radius.

"Robyn can you hear us? Robyn!" I think that was Breaker but I wasn't too sure, his voice sounded two octaves too high. "She's going into meltdown, her body can't take it, the central fluxes of the cortex are beginning to dissolve, its breaking her apart!" Yup. Definitely Breaker.

"You hold on. We're almost out of range." Even now Heavy sounded so calm and collected, it was kind of soothing. When I felt a hand touch my brow and smooth back my hair, I knew Snake was there. He lifted me up and wrapped me in a blanket, rocking me gently as slowly, the pain began to subside.

The sudden contrast from absolute torture and serene emptiness left my body feeling cold and numb. I couldn't feel anything anymore but I couldn't even open my eyes, I was that tired. Instantly I knew something was wrong because my mind still felt like someone was prodding it with a burning hot poker, even when we were clear out of range.

"We're on our way to Cobra now General." Roadblock was saying somewhere in the distance, my ears struggling to hear him. "Yes we have her, she's not looking good. Yes sir, understood." Then there was silence. Everyone was holding their breath, watching me. I didn't want them to stare at me. Most of these people had believed I had betrayed them. Why would they care now?

"Robyn, can you open your eyes?" Scarlet asked but when I didn't answer, she peeled open an eyelid and shone a bright torch into my pupil. "She's not responding."

"Give her a shot of something then!" Duke cut in. "Adrenaline?"

"Her body has gone into shock, we don't know what damage has been done." Scarlet replied snappily, shifting so that Breaker could scan me. There was a tense silence as he read the information.

"Oh no…"

"What? What's wrong?" Block instantly demanded, shoving his way forwards. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's…the signal. It triggered further mutation, not a lot but…she has what looks like a brain tumour." So that would be why my head feels like the inside of an aerosol can. Big shocker there. "Then the counter signal has only made it worse, the pressure has caused it to swell."

"So we can get her an operation to remove it, right?" Poor Duke was trying his best to offer an alternative. "We can remove it, right?"

"Possible. Maybe. I don't know. She's pretty weak, she…she might not live that long." Hey there, wait just a minute. I'm right here! I can hear every word you're saying. Why isn't my regeneration kicking in? Was it because I was too tired for anything to move? If that was the case then you guys definitely need to give me a shot of something. I felt Snake's grip on me tighten as he pressed a hand to the side of my face and gentle rubbed a thumb into my cheek.

"I'm sorry. I think we should all say our goodbyes." But I don't want to say goodbye. Please don't!

"Goodbye Robyn, we'll miss you." Scarlet sniffed. "I'm sorry we didn't believe you. We should have been a better family to you." You were a great family, Scarlet, don't be daft. I sensed someone stepping closer and with a gentle inhale, I could tell it to be Storm Shadow.

"Brother, let her down." After a long hesitation, Snake Eyes gently lay me out on the floor.

"What are you doing Storm?" Block asked protectively, moving forwards but he stopped when Duke placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ancient healing method. I'm going to change the flow of chi in her body to regain her energy, maybe then she will wake up." Yes! Go Ancient Japan! When he began hitting me with his thumb, I began to protest. He sharply prodded me in several pressure points in my arm, side, neck and legs before placing his thumb carefully at the centre of my brow then pressed in.

It was like having ten sugar rushes all at once. My body felt vitalised, purified as it were. All of a sudden my eyes flew open and my limbs all jerked out, hitting Storm in the face. "That's for poking me." My words came out so fast I barely could differentiate between each one. "What's up people? Why the long faces? Did someone die?" Leaping to my feet I gave a balletic twirl with a bright grin, facing everyone.

"I think you did a little too good." Duke grunted in pain as I hugged him tightly, lifting him off the floor. I was about to leap at Roadblock when my head began to spin. "Whoa! Careful." Duke called then caught my arms, pulling me back to a standing position.

"I like candy canes. They're stripy." I giggled with half closed eyes, swaying on my feet. "And tinsel. Tinsel is shiny." Then I felt the sharp sting in my head, making me flinch then place a hand there as slowly, the pressure began to ease off. Suddenly I could see straight, I felt perfectly normal again. Shaking my head I frowned then looked at everyone.

"Why aren't I mauled to death on the ground at the Whitehouse?" I asked in genuine confusion.

"Robyn! You're okay!" Scarlet sighed with relief then flung her arms around me, burying her face into my shoulder. I blinked then hugged her back, inhaling her comforting scent before letting her go. Breaker scanned me again and I stayed perfectly still.

"You healed! You're okay! The swelling's gone down, it's still healing over but your regeneration ability has finally kicked in. You're fine!" He threw his arms around me in an elated embrace. When he stepped back I just looked at everyone, my face blank.

"Why did you come back for me?" I asked, my tone bland and slightly hurt. "You all believed I had sold you out." They looked a little guilty.

"We couldn't be sure, Robyn, Cobra made it sound like you were still under his control." Scarlet began gently, reaching out to touch me but I flinched away from her, taking a step back and retreated into my shell.

"You should have just left me and gone after Cobra. He might be gone now because you wasted your time with me." I hung my head then sat down in a corner, pulling my blanket tightly around me as if to shield myself from them. "Robyn…" I shrank back further from Scarlet, hiding my face from her. She stepped back, glanced to the others then left me alone.

Roadblock sat a few feet away, watching me carefully to ensure I was alright. After a while he spoke. "We know where Cobra is. We got a call." I didn't answer. "From your cat friend." Sabrina? She had called in? Well, at least I could trust her to not turn on me. She's the only one I could ever truly trust, the only friend I had ever had who trusted me from beginning to end then even after she had been twisted and manipulated against me. Once I find her, I'll take her away somewhere we can be left alone. Maybe the jungle somewhere? Good cover, very remote and she could be a happy cat climbing all the trees.

"We're taking him down once and for all." Still I didn't answer him. I was silent for the rest of the journey. When the jet began to hover, I heard Rip step through. "Alright, we're ready to move." He looked over to me. "Is she alright?"

"We're still not sure." Scarlet answered. "Robyn? Are you coming? Do you need to stay here and rest?" I didn't answer but looked around briefly. My eyes narrowed when I saw Jinx leaning against Snake Eyes, one hand on his leg as she rested her head on his shoulder. A pang of jealousy hit me and I turned away. How dare she be cuddled that close to him! I wanted nothing to do with these people anymore. The only people I could ever seem to trust is myself and Sabrina. Sabrina understands what I've been through, we've been through it together. I'll take her away where no one will judge us, where we can live without fear of her being hated or me being considered a freak. Or a traitor.

The jet hovered, letting everyone off then moved away to land somewhere safe before being called back. I knew the pilot was male, I could smell him. He was nervous, his heart was beating rapidly like a drum. What concerned me, however, was the several other strange scents that were approaching. They were carrying guns and a heavy artillery unit, built for taking down bigger target. They were coming for us.

Instantly I was on my feet and throwing the blanket from me. "Pilot! We've got incoming." I called, snapping into my professional self. Sure, I planned to leave, but I wasn't going to leave a trail of bodies in my wake. "You need to take off, they've got enough power to blow up the Pentagon." Immediately he was starting up the engine. "I'll distract them, you take a wide berth around then keep out of sight." I told him, patting his shoulder. "And…if I don't make it back. Tell the others I'm sorry. Tell them…they were the greatest family I ever had."

"I shall. But you'll come back. You're one of the best." Only because I'm an experiment. Turning away I leaped out the exit then proceeded to circle around. My steps were light and barely made a sound, not even a leaf stirred. Taking a deep breath I slowed, figuring out the scents, letting them tell me the story.

They were armed and prepared, they even had nets and shackles. They had wanted to take us prisoner. Why? Not waiting to find out I leaped out just as the jet lifted off. The artillery gun was aimed and prepared to fire a powerful pulse to knock it down but I slammed into it, knocking it over so that the beams hit the trees, shaking them to the bone and knocking the first over, ripping it up by the roots. I flinched then promised myself to plant three more trees in compensation.

Suddenly they sharp boom of the canon pulses were shooting after me, trying to knock me down but I ducked and danced my way out of reach, keeping them occupied as the jet got away. I was about to turn tail and run away out of reach when something fell from above. I only had time to look up before the net collapsed around me, pinning me to the ground with electrical jolts cutting into me. I yowled from the contact, twitching until I was perfectly still, paralysed completely.

The only thing I could feel was the humming from my hands. Grinning inwardly I relaxed, it seems that little shock was what I needed to charge up my gloves. Sweet. I was cuffed with my hands behind my back and held at gunpoint to be marched back to where Cobra was hiding. It seemed this was one of his better hideouts, newly built.

It was a dark grey stone dome built into the mountainside with a lip hanging over the cliff, the balcony looking out over the sea hundreds of feet down below. As we climbed up the mountainside, I noticed how there were no guards positioned anywhere. It seems they are otherwise preoccupied.

The door rolled up, opening its gaping mouth to let us in as we approached and I was forced inside. Everything was dark ahead, like the gullet of a whale. It made me slightly nervous, I was still a little afraid of the dark but the moment the rock solid door rolled back down, I was knocked out anyway, so it didn't really make any difference.


	21. Chapter 21

**Yeah, sorry it's really short but, *gasp!, cliffhanger!**

* * *

When I awoke, I was greatly infuriated. I was tied up to a chair which limited my movements. I couldn't even tense to try and break through the ropes, which sucked. After a moment, I realised I was not alone. I could hear him breathing, the mechanical sound sending shivers down my neck as I slowly turned my head. "You continue to surprise me." Cobra Commander said to me in a slightly mocking tone. "For a simple test subject, you have exceeded all of my expectations."

"Like being able to live through those trials." I spat angrily at him. "You killed a lot of people. Good people. Just so that you could rule the world."

"My dear, someone has to. Everything is fallen into chaos, I will be the one to bring order and unification." I rolled my eyes. "Don't expect any of your Joe friends to come and rescue you, I doubt they care enough anymore."

"I don't want to be rescued by them." I growled back, trying to jerk my way free as I spoke. "They turned on me after you set me up. I can't trust them."

"No. You can't. Clever girl." My lips peeled back into a snarl, warning him to stay back as he stepped closer. "Initially, I was just going to kill you and wipe the slate clean but, you appear to be useful to me. You've proven that I can't simply have mindless animals as my army. I needed trained soldiers, like you." I dreaded where this was going, I felt my heart drop to the floor. "Hmm, so much fear. The dark, pain, isolation…I can take it all away."

"You keep away from me." I hissed but he ran a gloved hand through my hair and pushed it back to expose my neck.

"It won't hurt for very long. You'll be impervious to pain, without fear, you'll be indestructible."

"I like knowing my limits." Trying to tug back I jerked my head away but he merely laughed then stepped back.

"Inserting my nanomites into you wouldn't work. You've already proven too strong minded for that. Like my sister." Glancing up at him my eyes narrowed.

"I can't believe what you did to your sister. You were going to turn her into a cobra mutant!" Pushing aside all moral standards, I summoned all the saliva in my mouth and spat on him. "You make me sick." Without even a care, Commander simply flicked the spit from his leather coat. The smell made me shift uncomfortably.

"Not to worry, I can still control you. You were exposed to my ingenious signal back at the President's home, now all I need to do is keep you that way." What did he mean?

"You can't. The exposure almost killed me." I babbled. "It caused a brain tumour to mutate within the space of minutes." It was sort of lying, it was actually the degeneration which had caused the imbalance of pressures, resulting in the tumour, but hey, he wasn't going to know that, was he?

"That can be taken care of." Suddenly he pulled out a flat tablet with my details on screen and some control options. "You, my beauty, are under my power." He began to tap on various bars then turned to me. Beauty? Who was he callin-


	22. Chapter 22

**So Robyn has now been compromised due to the residue signal that connects to the serum she was first injected with all those months ago, so Cobra Commander was able to shut off part of her consciousness and yeah, basically she's one of those creepy Viper weirdos. Let's get going shall we?**

* * *

Blinking myself awake I stood, glancing around before saluting to my leader. "Cobra Commander."

"Welcome back, Subject Forty Three." He said then walked to the door. I suddenly got the urge to follow him, like it was a silent command. I stepped forwards and walked behind him, keeping my head straight and looking ahead of me. "On second thoughts, I think a new name is in order." He stopped and lifted his head as if in thought. "We shall call you…Python." I didn't answer but nodded my head in acceptance.

He led me up to the top surface point of his new laboratory and hideout. I couldn't remember getting here but I didn't question it. It wasn't my place. "Here we rule this planet. My beacons in Washington were destroyed, but soon we shall have a thousand more all around the world. Then there will be no one to escape my control. There are only fifty minutes left until the world is mine. If they do not hand over power to me, they shall all suffer." I knew he was talking to himself so I just stood there silently, never blinking.

"Come!" Without hesitation I approached him. He looked at me through the mask, remaining perfectly still before slowly reaching up to touch the back of his hand to my face. "Quite remarkable. I never believed you, out of all those people, would be the one to live." I didn't answer, merely stood there, allowing him to touch my face. "I saw you when you came in, you know. You were holding the other girl close to you, protecting her. You didn't seem afraid."

He was acting strange, he was leaning closer, as if to close any distance between us. "Together, we shall rule this world." Then he let me go and looked up at the sound of a crash. "Remain out of sight, move when I tell you."

"Yes Commander." I bowed my head then jumped into the shadows, fading from sight. I could hear the sound of footsteps hammering closer and closer. Someone was going to attack my Commander. I couldn't let that happen. I will protect him.

My order kept me rooted to the spot, however, so all I could do was watch as three men burst their way in. One was wearing a metallic suit, which in instantly knew must be government issued, either as an enhancer or for protection. The other wore only combats and black shirt which hardened each bulging muscle underneath. The last wore a different kind of suit, which covered every inch of him from head to toe with a red emblem blazed onto his shoulder. He carried a katana and I knew he was trained as a ninja. I knew none of them.

"Game's up, Commander, you're coming with us." The largest of the three men stated, lifting a gun that looked completely out of place with him. It was a pistol with white enamel around the grip. He looked more like a machine gun kind of guy.

"The game is never up. Whatever happens, I will have ten more plans lined up to continue my work. Nothing can stop me, I am invincible."

"Tell that to my bullet." The same guy growled.

"We're taking you in Rex, no questions asked. You're going away for a long time." The man in the chunky looking suit said. Was he addressing m Commander? Was Rex his real name?

"I don't think so. I'm not going anywhere."

"Who's going to stop us from just taking you?" The taller man demanded mockingly. "You're all alone." Commander looked towards me.

"Python?" I stepped out into the light. All three faces turned to me and their jaws dropped.

"Robyn?" Who was Robyn? Didn't they just hear Commander call me Python? They were obviously morons with little intelligence. Idiots with guns, how fantastic. Did they even know how the weapons worked? "Robyn what are you doing here?"

"Python has been working for me for a very long time. She's very good at manipulating others. Aren't you Python?"

"Yes Commander." I answered tonelessly, never blinking.

"Take them out, Python." I began to circle them.

"Robyn, it's us! Duke, I'm Duke. Don't you remember me?" How could I? I've never met him before. "What about Roadblock? You went to his house, you looked after his girls Poppy and Daisy, you taught Poppy's dance class, they have a competition tomorrow!" The man, Duke, was clawing desperately. I could hear it in his voice.

Without even batting an eyelid I jumped up, swinging myself around and knocked him backwards, grabbing Roadblock's wrist in the process then dragged him around, knocking him into the last unknown figure before twisting it sharply, throwing the gun away from him. I heard it smash through one of the windows and out onto the balcony.

"Robyn wake up! It's us! We're your family!" I don't have family. With two down and the ninja still about, I turned on him. He slid his sword away, refusing to fight me with it. Idiot, they were lacking in intelligence after all. Cold heartedly I stalked towards him then shot out with a strike to his gut. He defended but the power caused him to stumble backwards. From then on he evaded me.

He was fast but I was stronger and just as agile. I could hear his ragged breaths after a while of battling together. Occasionally I had to knock back the other two but they were easy, push overs. I had to protect my Commander, it was in my blood.

"We don't have a choice, Duke. We're going to have to." Roadblock said, panting heavily as he struggled to get up, clutching his ribs whilst wheezing. I must have cracked a few.

"No! We can bring her back, Anna did it for me. Robyn can do it for us! For Snake Eyes!" Snake Eyes? The name sounded familiar. I paused, turning my head at the sound of Duke's voice but quickly recovered, lifting the ninja, Snake Eyes, then threw him into a wall. I rolled on the floor, drew both guns from the holsters then aimed at the three of them. I waited for the order.

"Finish them off."

"Robyn, we're sorry." Roadblock said to me sadly. Why did they insist on calling me Robyn? Did they really know me? I don't understand, what's going on?

"Python! I command you to shoot them!" Shaking my head slightly to disperse the thoughts I narrowed my eyes and aimed at Snake Eyes. He was the bigger threat, I had to take him down first. He was on his knees, looking up at me. I've never seen his face before. Wait, how did I know that?

My hand began to tremble and a bead of sweat rolled down my neck. What was wrong with me? "Shoot them!"

"It's working, keep talking to her!" Duke hissed. "Robyn, you're one of us. We're all family. Don't you remember family?" Well, I must have had one some time ago, but where were they now?

"My girls love you, you took them to the park and bought them ice cream." Roadblock added. "You promised to come see them again with Duke." I did? Who were these girls? Snake slowly went into his glove and I watched him carefully, snapping the gun's barrel to focus on him. He dropped the item he was holding.

It rolled on the floor, the light reflecting beautifully from the clear rounded surface, the milky whiteness shaded with a slight pink hue. A pearl. The light brightened and suddenly I saw it before me, held by a gloved hand. I followed the hand down the arm then slowly up to his face. A masked face. For a moment I thought it was the Commander but then I realised it was not the same. It was the ninja. Snake Eyes.

"If you won't kill them, then I shall!" His furious voice drew me back from looking down at the pearl. He went for the gun hidden under his desk. He was going to shoot the ninja!

"N-n-n-NO!" I stammered, dropping down then sprung at Commander, twisting awkwardly in the air as half of me tried to stop myself. The power in my legs propelled me forwards nonetheless and I slammed into the Commander, together crashing through the wide window, glass shattering into tiny, chiming shards as we flew.

When we landed I yelped, hitting my shoulder with a sharp jolt then rolled, going still as I continued to battle with myself. Half of me wanted to finish the three intruders, the other half of me had just thrown myself at the Commander to protect them and wanted to do so again.

"What…what did you do to me?" I shuddered, slowly getting to my feet. "What am I? _Who_ am I?"

"You're mine!" Commander roared, grabbing his gun then pointed it to me. He looked to the other three who now stood at the window. Feeling safer with them, I began to crawl towards Duke who took a step towards me. "Stop or she dies!" Everyone froze except me, I continued to crawl, dragging my confused body closer. "I said stop!" The gun pointed closer to me, so I went still.

"What do you want from me?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes. "Tell me who I am!"

"You're mine. You'll always be mine." He growled at me. "One way or another and if I can't have you, then no one will." Realisation dawned on me.

"You…you…want me?" It made me shudder, somehow I knew that was wrong.

"My most successful creation just happened to be the only beautiful woman in the world." My gut felt like it was going to hurl up an empty stomach, which would be unpleasant to see.

"But…" I felt my mind sink back, falling into a void. Suddenly I was surrounded by images, images that I recognised. No, they were _memories_! I saw laughter and tears and pain and heartache. I saw jealousy towards a woman, Jinx, every time she smiled at Snake Eyes, every time she hugged or touched him with a bat of her lashes. I could see Roadblock's beautiful children, laughing and singing with me as I pushed them on the swings.

I remember who I am.

Robyn. My name is Robyn. Robyn Hood the streets used to call me. These men, they were my family. Looking up I smiled, tears of joy in my eyes. "I'm Robyn." Duke and Roadblock sighed with relief.

"No! How can you do this? You should be under my control! The signal perfect, the signal is…" I turned my narrow eyes to him, snarling.

"Gone." He looked at me then to Snake, who was trying to inch his way towards me. In the distance I heard a chopper coming closer.

"Well. Then. There's only one thing left to do." He turned to shoot Snake Eyes.

"No!" I screamed, scrambling to my feet. It all happened too quickly. I cut in front of Snake Eyes as Commander pulled out a blast gun and shot Duke and Roadblock, throwing them all the way back into the wall, knocking them out. The last thing I saw was a small, dark shape falling down in front of me from sliding down over the dome roof.

The bullet fired.


	23. Chapter 23

**Another short one, I'm sorry, but hey, I love cliff hangers! So now, I am going to dangle you all over the edge by your foot with this chapter. Enjoy the view ;)**

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With a strangled cry I stepped forwards and caught Sabrina in my arms as she fell backwards, left arm supporting her small frame as the right curled around the gun Roadblock had brought. I lifted it up just as Commander shot the blast gun at Snake Eyes, knocking him down too. My shot, through lack of concentration, hit him in the shoulder, making him cry out and drop everything. I turned to the bleeding woman in my arms.

"Sabrina…" I whispered, hot tears pouring down my face as she looked up at me, eyes watery also. Blood pooled from her chest, staining the crop top she wore, the trails sliding down her belly and into the denim shorts. She smiled weakly up at me then began to purr. "No! Heal! Come on you can heal, can't you? He modified you too!"

"Not everything." She whispered, her eyes sliding shut. "You're the best sister I could have ever asked for." She purred, closing her eyes completely. I stared in shock at her as her beautiful head rolled backwards and her purr cut off sharply with her last breath. She was gone.

My ears throbbed from the blood that raged. I couldn't hear anything at all, I could only see Sabrina dead in my arms. I pulled her into me, sobbing as I rocked her, letting out all kinds of unearthly sounds as I cradled her close. My heart shattered, this pain was intolerable. I'd rather go through everything all over again than bear the pain of losing Sabrina. I'd take it all. I'd take that and more if it meant Sabrina would be alive again.

When the roaring in my ears turned to dull thuds of spinning blades, I looked up, cutting off my sobs to see Cobra Commander walking towards a helicopter, clutching his shoulder. He couldn't get away. Not this time. He climbed up onto the balcony ledge then reached up for the harness that was being lowered down to him.

Carefully and gently I lay Sabrina down then stood, tearing forwards at a run. "Robyn!" Duke yelled but I ignored him, my sights focused on the Commander. Bunching up the muscles in my legs, I powered into the air.

"No! Robyn!" Block bellowed and I could heard them running forwards but it was too late. My body slammed into the Commander and together, we tumbled over the edge. "No!" Their cries rang in my ears as I fell, my hair whipping back from my face until I turned, unable to control my descent. I was silent, calmly listening to the waves and wind as they beat against the cliff.

Cobra Commander screamed, flailing his arms and legs in a weak attempt to fly. The moron. The coward. _Murderer._ It brought small satisfaction knowing that I had taken down the man who had killed Sabrina. With dull realisation I remembered I hadn't even talked to her about running away to the jungle.

Well, if there is a heaven, perhaps we could create one for ourselves. Time slowed as I watched the ripping waves loom closer, opening their jaws to swallow me entirely. I knew the chances of me surviving were slim, at least Commander had no chance at all. Sure enough when he slapped the water, I heard the sickening crack of his spine. Then it was my turn.

I was so numb that I didn't even feel the pain.


	24. Chapter 24

**So Robyn just threw herself off a cliff. Great job girl, absolutely marvellous. How on earth are you going to get out of this one? Let's find out...oh wait! just a word of warning, there's a teensy little bit of Snake/Robyn fluff, because I love fluffy things! Enjoy ;)**

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With my last trip through the void, I sealed up the tiny holes in my mind, sealing in all of my memories. I remembered everything, from learning things at school to arm wrestling with Ripcord. Once I had everything I needed, I broke the boundaries, shattering the walls until light flooded me. I could feel a little, the sensation of rocking.

The silky blankets of water wrapped around me and cradled me in their soft arms, flowing endlessly as I curled up like a child in its mother's womb. Instead of giving me life, however, it was bringing me death. I could feel my lungs begin to burn with pain. That was what woke me up.

Out of instinct I kicked up, powering to the surface. The moment my head was free I sucked in a deep gulp of air but my vision went blank and once again I was dragged under. It was dark, that much I could tell. My body felt drained of everything, finally giving up. I don't think the dolphins will be coming to save me this time.

It was also stormy. This I only realised when a gigantic wave literally swallowed me up then spat me back out. I groaned. Couldn't it just be a nice, calm evening? The choppy waves were reaching alarming heights, taller than trees, roaring as they fell upon me and dragged me under, tumbling me about until I could figure out which way was up then swim in that direction.

My vision faded from time to time as I struggled to fight for my life. What was the point? Then a spotlight found me. Fight! Fight! Fight!

Struggling to keep my head above water I swallowed a mouthful, coughing and choking on the salty taste. I waved my arms, trying to get them to figure out I was alive. Something dark dropped into the water. Oh please no, please tell me he didn't.

He did.

Snake Eyes swam towards me then lifted me to him, helping me stay above water as I went limp. He shouldn't have dived in, I didn't want him in danger. I wanted him safe! Why did he dive in? Unable to voice my thoughts, I simply leaned into him, kicking weakly with my legs to keep us aloft. Obviously the chopper wasn't a rescue helicopter since no harness was dropped down. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the chopper the President escaped in. Odd.

Snake began to swim for shore, which was apparently close by because he seemed pretty damned intent on reaching it. "Snake…let me go." I murmured wearily to him. "You shouldn't be here. Get to land." His grip on me tightened. "Please. I don't want you hurt." It tightened further. Okay, seems like he's not getting the message.

Too weak to argue further I helped as much as I could. That was when the largest wave I had ever seen began to climb. It was so tall that the helicopter actually had to get out of the way. My eyes widened and I thrashed about, getting in front of Snake then held onto him tightly, preparing for the crash.

The wave pulled us up into its current, curling over us then dropped us down deeper into the ocean. We continued to drown further, the powerful water pulling us down into its depths as if invisible chains were wrapped around our ankles, forcing us down. My grip on Snake Eyes loosened but I wrapped myself around him, holding on tightly as we continued to be thrown around.

I lost track of time under here, all I knew that I was burning for breath. Another thing I knew, I could hold my breath much longer than Snake Eyes, and he was now limp in my arms. Struggling to focus, I grit my teeth then powered up for the escape. Drawing strength from somewhere, I began to kick my legs.

An ordinary human wouldn't stand a chance against the strength of these currents, but I wasn't an ordinary human. My enhanced strength helped me to drag both Snake and I out from under the surf, into the air. This situation looked scarily familiar. Why did history have to repeat itself?

Shaking my head I began to swim for shore which was just in the distance. I could see the dark shapes of hills in the distance, illuminated by every flash of lightning. The rolling thunder rumbled in my chest with my heart as I dragged Snake out of the ocean, somehow finding the will to keep going. It was for him, I realised. I could have only done it if he was in danger.

When we hit land, the waves lay off, snarling and spitting in anger at its lost prey as I dragged Snake ashore. The chopper followed then tried to find a place to land but the ground was too uneven, forcing them to go further inland. "Snake!" I yelled, trying to shake him awake. When he didn't answer I bit my lip then began to take off his helmet.

I was slightly scared at what I would find, I was also ashamed. I didn't want to intrude on his privacy, but he wasn't breathing so I had no choice. I had to save him. When I lifted the helmet from his face, a bolt of lightning illuminated his features. I was in shock.

He was dark haired, how dark I wasn't too sure, but he was also hands down the most handsome man I had ever seen. He had clear skin, a perfectly aligned nose which part of me had expected to be crooked from breakage in a previous fight. His smooth lips were like marble, however, threatening to turn blue. Gulping I began to press on his chest, trying to get his heart going. "Snake? Snake you have to wake up. Please!" Begging him was a little pointless, but I was afraid and it made me feel better.

Nervously I pinched his nose then lowered my head to his, using a finger to part his lips. They were soft, fitting against mine as if they were made to find each other, like a puzzle piece was meant to fit with another. Cliché, I know, but I'm not going to complain, I haven't exactly kissed that many boys before, in fact, I never have. This will be my first, which is kind of depressing when you think about it, I mean, Snake is almost dead! I breathed air into him, repeated the process several times then waited a second. He still didn't respond.

Frantically I pressed my ear to his chest. When I pulled away, tears were dripping down my cheeks. "No. No you can't be dead. You can't be!" I yelled at him. "Wake up you moron!" I punched his chest, raised my fist to do it again then looked at my glove. The glove. Instantly I turned both gloves on, rubbing them together to get the currents moving before pressing them into his chest.

His entire body jerked, his back sharply bending as his eyes flew open. Instantly I shot back, staring at him as he turned over and threw the water from his lungs, coughing before slumping down on his side. For a while he just lay there, breathing heavily before he opened his eyes. They were electric blue. Then they turned on me.

I looked away quickly, not wanting him to see my tears. He had died. Snake Eyes had been dead in my arms. After losing Sabrina…I couldn't lose him too. He wouldn't be angry I removed the mask, would he? Was that a rule? No one ever removes the mask? Oh hell! What have I done?

Unsure and slightly afraid, I began to look up. Snake Eyes was pulling himself closer to me with sluggish movements, dragging air into his body. My face contorted, twisting as I tried to stop myself from crying. I had never cried before today except for my parents but now I just could not seem to stop. Once for Sabrina and second…I don't know what for. Relief? Snake Eyes gently pulled me to him, touching his brow to mine as his eyes closed, still shaking and breathing heavily.

Unable to hold it in I let the tears go, my shoulders shaking with the sobs as Snake then pulled me closer still, embracing me tightly. My head rested in the crook of his neck, hands firmly at my waist and back as he shifted closer then sat down on the wet sand, me practically in his lap as I cried. "Don't ever do that again." I sobbed at him, only half-heartedly angry. "Don't ever, _ever_, put yourself at risk for me." One hand rubbed my back as I gripped onto Snake, refusing to relent my hold on him. I continued to talk through my tears, most of it incoherent but I didn't care. He needed to know that I cared.

"First you push me away because you think I'm a traitor, then you nearly died because of Cobra, then you jump into a raging ocean to try and rescue me! Damn it Snake!" Slowly I calmed down, soothed by the rocking sensation as Snake held me close, swaying gently until I was silent as a winter morning. "Promise me you won't risk your life for me again." I murmured to him, pulling away to look into his eyes-damn they were gorgeous. Vivid and beautiful shades of blue from dark to light and every hue in between. "I wouldn't be able to bear it if you got hurt."

He just looked down at me. He never answered, so I'm guessing it was a no. Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand I reached behind him and picked up his helmet. "I'm sorry I took it off but, you were kind of dead." He smiled at me-was my heart fluttering? Dang he had a nice smile too. What was it with this guy? He had all the luck around here.

I watched him put it back on then together, we got to our feet and turned inland to find the others. Snake had one arm around my neck and I kept my other hand on his chest, together supporting one another as we were both exhausted beyond belief.

Though the storm still raged on I could just about make out the small shapes making their way to us. One was Scarlet, the other Roadblock. "Am I still considered a traitor?" I asked with both bitterness and weariness. In answer Snake squeezed my hand gently then continued up the hill.

"Robyn! Snake!" Scarlet called as they reached us. "Come on, we'll get you both warm."

"Sleep first." I murmured before collapsing. Hey, I've been through one hell of a day and my chest was still burning with grief. I deserved to faint like a stupid damsel.


	25. Chapter 25

**Yay! We've official seen/met Snake Eyes! He is hands down the most awesome character ever, it's a shame I don't own him and the entire G. I Joe franchise...**

**(That was a disclaimer by the way)**

**See y'all around!**

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I'm pretty sure I must have slept for days but as it turns out, we were still on our way back to America to meet with the President. There was only one place I wanted to be, however. When we landed for fuel, I got off the plane then began to walk.

"Robyn! Where are you going?" Block called to me.

"I'm going to see Poppy dance." I answered. "That's the only place I want to be right now. You're welcome to tag along." With that, I continued walking. I had changed out of my suit so now I wore simple army appropriate clothes, tank top and blue camouflage bottoms. Block, persuaded by the thought of seeing his little girl dance, dragged Duke along.

We got into a cab, promised not to shoot him then let him drive us all the way to the event, which was being held at a theatre. We charged it to the "company" then ran inside. I pushed past the body guard, racing in whilst praying we weren't too late. Thank the lord we weren't, they were just coming on.

When Poppy saw us, her face lit up. I know it was against regulation to abandon the team on a route call from the President but hey, I'll file it under post traumatic distress order. The team began to dance. They were amazing, all moving with the beat and putting everything they had into it. They spun and twirled and flipped until the crowds were on their feet. I looked to Block.

"Are you crying?" I asked him. He adjusted his cap.

"No." He replied then continued to watch. Millie had certainly done a good job with finishing the routine, none of the moves looked different so the dance didn't appear cut up, as it were. I was so proud of them, even though I'd only taught them for one lesson.

When the dance finished, everyone was cheering, lifting the roof from the walls. Duke was definitely crying. With a gentle push Roadblock walked towards the stage, descending the stairs as Poppy pulled away from her troupe and called out. Instantly everyone was cheering since, you know, everyone loved an army family reunion. Poppy leaped off the stage into her daddy's arms, crying and hugging him as Daisy left her seat to embrace him also, Millie close behind.

"You know, moment's like these make everything all worth it." I looked to Duke who had whispered to me. "Remind you what it is you're fighting for."

"I guess." I nodded my head. I sensed Duke shift uncomfortably and a wave of nerves rolled from his scent.

"Listen…I'm sorry we didn't believe you. We know better than that now." I looked at him with a blank face then turned, walking away. "It would have been the same for any one of us. You have to know that, Robyn. Come on, please don't act like that."

"Who says I'm acting?" I shot back, pushing my way out of the theatre then headed for the exit.

"You're going to miss the results!" Duke called after me.

"I'll be back. Just leave me alone!" I snapped, storming outside. The fresh air hit me and did me a lot of good. It was too stuffy in there, too many people. My entire body shook but I couldn't explain why, I felt disconnected again, but not from my body. From my heart. Sabrina's death had really torn it open. Now I didn't know who to trust.

"Only yourself. You know how it goes, Robyn. You can't trust anyone." I muttered to myself. "They just think you're a freak." Somehow they sounded like Commander's words and not my own. I snuck backstage for the results, everyone waiting in anticipation.

"And the winner is…" Please say Dazzlers. Please say Dazzlers. Please say Dazzlers. "The Merry Men!" What? But my troupe deserved to win! They displayed the best talent by far! I was about to shout out and argue when my team ran on. Huh? The Merry Men? They'd renamed themselves?

"Thank you so much! However, we owe it all to one person." The sort of lead boy, Alex, turned and pointed to me. Instantly the younger ones were running forwards, grabbing my arms then dragged me onto stage. "Robyn Grayson! Or as we call her, Robyn Hood!" They'd renamed themselves as a tribute to me? Now I was blushing. Everyone cheered so to hide my face, I picked up Poppy and hugged her, pulling everyone around me.

"You guys were great." I smiled to them all. "You'll be dancing in the stars soon enough." They all bubbled like bottles of champagne around me. I knew my time was running out so I waited for them to collect the prize, let their photos be taken then walked off stage with them. "I can't stay, I have to go." I informed them softly. "But I'll try and visit your troupe every time I get the chance."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I've been called back to my unit." I told the younger ones and they gasped.

"You're in the army?" I nodded my head. "Will you think of us when you're out there?" I nodded my head again.

"Always. You guys are such bright little stars. I'll always think of you and wish you all the luck in the world." I turned to Samantha. "Just make sure you point your toes." She giggled then hugged me tightly. We had a group hug, a few tears were shed then I reluctantly left them with their well-deserved prize money.

A carrier had been arranged to pick us up. Apparently Hawk wasn't happy about my little stunt but no one said anything as we were taken back to the President for our personal thanks. The others had changed into their military uniforms. Since I was never in the military, I kinda didn't have anything to wear. The President's assistant tried to persuade me to put on my suit but I just shot her a glare, making her back off with a gulp. I wasn't in the mood for reprimands, I knew I was in for an earful.

The moment I stepped into the President's office, Hawk turned his head towards me. An awkward moment of silence passed between us. "Ah, there you are. General Hawk, this is the lady I was telling you about."

"Yes I know. She's our newest member of the Alpha dogs." They both looked at me but I just stood there, not saying a word. The President glanced between us before frowning ever so slightly.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No sir. There was just a little misunderstanding between us before." Hawk replied simply. "You see, Hood here was labelled an informant by Cobra Commander, which is why I locked her up in a cell for security reasons. When she managed to escape, I reasoned it must be true." My eyes narrowed further.

"You sent four choppers after me to blow me out of the sky." I revealed then spat out the last word needed. "Sir."

"You looked guilty."

"I was escaping to prove I was innocent. Did pretty well, didn't I?" My sarcasm shot off the bar as it dripped from every word. I looked to the President and nodded. "I'm glad to see you're alright sir."

"Yes. Thanks to you." He stood. "General, I want all charges against this woman cleared. Her entire record, if you please." The President walked around to me, straightening his jacket before holding out his hand for me to shake. I did so carefully, knowing that my normal grip would crush his hand. "Welcome to the Joes, Agent Hood." Hood? What is this, my new code name? "Robyn Hood, quite clever, don't you think?" He smiled and I gave a weak laugh.

"I get that a lot."

"If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know." I paused, wondering if I could dare ask but decided against it. "Was there something?" I slowly looked up to meet his eyes.

"Sir, there's only two things I want in the entire world."

"Name them." I hesitated again, stumbling for words before taking a deep breath.

"First I'd like my father's ranch. I'd like it back. It was repossessed by the government fifteen years ago. I have no other home apart from headquarters and I'd like to have a piece of my parents back to keep their memory alive. I can make repayments through working with the Joes, I'd just like it to be secure."

"Alright. I shall see what I can do. Secondly?" Swallowing I let out a shaky breath.

"Sabrina's body. I'd like to bury her on the ranch." The President blinked then frowned.

"Sabrina? That nice cat lady I met on the helicopter? I didn't realise she had passed. I'm so sorry." He picked up my hands and patted them softly. "She was such a sweet thing. I was nervous of her at first but she had a lovely purr. How did she die?"

"She was brought over to Cobra Commander's location by General Joe with reinforcements after she had left you. Sabrina then caught my scent and followed. She…" I choked. "Commander shot her in the chest when he aimed to kill my teammate and I stood in the way." Swallowing I then looked down at my feet. "She was the closest thing I had to family. We grew close when we were on the streets together." A long silence passed as the President thought things over.

"You've had such a bad run of luck so far, after what Cobra Commander put you through, I believe you are entitled to a few compensations. I shall do my best for your wishes. I hardly think them unreasonable." The President looked to his assistant who took a step forwards. "Get the details of this young lady's ranch home and look at transportation of Miss Sabrina. See what can be done." He then looked back to me. "I thank you for saving my life and the lives of Washington. Without your brave efforts, we would all be lost." After shaking my hand once more, he let me go.

"Sir." I stepped back and saluted to both men before turning and leaving. After a few steps of exiting the room, I heard General Hawk following behind me.

"Agent Hood, hold there." I obeyed. Seems like it was the only thing I was doing these days. Obeying. "I want to apologise for not believing you but there are regulations to follow after such accusations arise." My face was void of all expression.

"Did you know three men had come down to kill me?" He paused before nodding his head.

"I was aware. They have been reprimanded and sent back to their respective heads of state."

"And the missiles shot at my ass was just another mistake?" I guessed, glaring at him. "Would have done that had I been human?"

"You are human."

"You don't think I am. Sir." Sighing deeply Hawk looked at me.

"I truly am sorry." With that he took a step back. "I'll understand if you want out." He was offering me a chance to leave? Ha! To go back to what?

"I'll think about it." I replied then nodded my head to him before leaving. The others all stood when I passed but I ignored them, throwing the door open and striding out of the Whitehouse.

"Hey! You can't just leave, there's a press conference in two minutes! You're needed!" I ignored the guards and followed the path down to the gate, ignoring everyone as they called out my name. With the look on my face, I guess they realised the guards shouldn't irritate me further. The gate was opened and I walked out into the open streets, letting the bustle and rush of familiar sounds engulf me.


	26. Chapter 26

**So...sup people? What's gonna happen next, I wonder? Well, I know but you guys will have to read to find out. Oh poor you... :) Enjoy!**

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Every day I struggled to get to grips with the fact that Sabrina was gone but somehow, I managed. It still hurt, like a scar that will never leave, but I learned to deal with it. For a few days everyone was nervous around me, unsure about how to act. I knew I was being harsh on them, it's not their fault rules were rules. It also wasn't their fault that I was a freak of nature.

So to loosen up and take my mind off things, I would dance. I'd dance like no one was watching, because no one _was _watching. It freed my spirit, it helped me let out all the emotions. Three days after Sabrina's death I had been dancing without pause for four hours the moment I had woken up. It helped me lose track of everything but when strong arms caught me on my landing from a flat back pirouette, I collapsed into them.

Snake Eyes lowered me to the ground and held me in his arms, rocking me gently as I trembled, trying not to cry. I was sweaty and my body tingled all over but he didn't let go of me until I was perfectly still. He cradled me like a child, a reoccurring habit apparently. "Thanks." I murmured, my throat dry and my voice hoarse. "I lost it a bit there, didn't I?" He nodded his head simply then helped me to stand up. "It helps." He tilted his head slightly. "The dancing. It helps me to say what I can't find words to say." He nodded his head in understanding then made a few signs. "No, I'm not hungry." I watched him make a few more then sighed. "I don't want to go because then I'll be on my own." His shoulders sagged as if in a sigh then continued to use Makaton. "I've treated them unfairly. I don't think I can face them now."

In answer he placed a hand on my shoulder. Out of my underlying instinct, I flinched, seeing Cobra Commander appear before me. Snake Eyes stiffened then took a large step back. "I'm sorry." I murmured, a large lump swelling up in my throat. "I…I just can't get over it." Grabbing my towel and bag I hurried from the gym, leaving Snake Eyes behind me. I locked myself in my room, unsure what to do.

Other than take a shower, that is. Once I was as clean as a whistle I changed into a long sleeved top and comfortable sweat pants before throwing my hair up into a ponytail. That's when the letter arrived. Someone dropped it off in my letterbox, which hung on my side of the newly fixed door. I fished it out then opened it.

A smile brightened my features. It was the deeds to my dad's ranch. Looking around my room, I knew what I needed. I needed horse therapy.

Putting together a bag, I carefully placed the deeds in my pack before shouldering it. Time to face Hawk. He was in the office, as he mostly was, pouring over reports and other things. When I knocked and entered, he looked surprised to see me. More so that I was ready to leave. "So, you've decided." He murmured, looking rather disappointed.

"I have." I paused then gave a little shrug. "I'd like to take a leave of absence for two weeks. Then I'd like to come back, sir." This made him blink in shock. Obviously he hadn't expected that. "I need time to grieve and time to pull myself back together. Once I'm back in the right mind set, I'll be okay to continue without hindrance."

"A leave of absence?" I nodded my head.

"I got my dad's ranch. It's mine now so I want to go home, fix things up then let things smooth over." Lifting my chin proudly I squared my shoulders. "I'm not about to give up on my family yet." Slowly a smile began to stretch across Hawk's features.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. Because in all honesty, Hood, you're the piece that's been missing from my team for a long time. We've got everything, from excellent markswomen, certified ninjas, military dogs, strength buffs to early graduate geniuses. What we've been missing is a little bit of unison. Someone to tie up the pieces. If there's anything that matters to you it's family, Hood, which means you're the one who helps keep everyone together. You'd sacrifice yourself for any one of us, plus you come from a different background from everyone else. If anyone's adaptable, you've proven to be the best." Slowly I began to grin.

"Don't forget the thief part. I'm the best thief this place has ever seen."

"Another true fact." He agreed then looked into his drawer for the right paperwork as I walked over to him. "I'll grant you two weeks leave. Just make sure you're not late coming back. You know where to call for your transport." Hawk said, signing the form and filling out the details before handing them to me. "I hope you figure everything out." I nodded my head, taking the papers from him.

"Thank you sir." I saluted then went to the door. When I got there, I turned then smirked. "Sir?"

"Yes Hood?"

"Would you like your wallet back?" His face dropped and he patted his pockets, searching for the wallet I had snatched as he had been rummaging through the drawer. I lifted it up and dangled it from my fingers tauntingly as he simply stared at me. "Get out of here." He told me with a chuckle as I tossed it back to him. Shouldering my pack I walked to the airfield where Hawk had called ahead to arrange a chopper for me. I was about to climb on when I heard Scarlet call out my name.

"Robyn?" Turning around I took my foot off the chopper and took a few steps towards them. Everyone stood there, looking at me with mixed emotions. None of them knew what to say. With a sigh I dropped my back and put my arms around Scarlet, holding her tightly as her arms shot around my waist, pulling me into a tight hug. "Come back safe, okay? No more surprises." She said with a little laugh, pulling away with warmth shining in her eyes.

"I will." I promised her then looked to Block.

"If you're in my neighbourhood, make sure to drop in on my ladies for me." He said then hugged me too, his strong arms almost crushing me so I did the same, making him grunt as I clicked his back. When I stepped back he twisted then grinned. "Thanks, I needed that." I winked at him then hugged Rip and Duke, smiling into them.

"Say hello to Anna for me. Tell her not to worry, Spanner's a genius and will find a way to get those mini robots out."

"I will." Duke nodded his head. I shook Flint's hand then gave him a one armed hug then did the same to Lady Jaye, we were friends but not quite that close. Yet. I turned to General Joe and he nodded his head.

"You did good." I gave him a wide grin.

"Of course I did. Though it's thanks to you that I managed, seeing as you didn't blow my head off the moment you saw me. So thanks for that." He nodded his head in agreement then saluted me, which I mirrored. Storm Shadow nodded to me, which was all we needed for a good farewell before I turned to Breaker and Heavy.

"Take care sweetheart. Call if you need anything." Heavy said as he hugged me. Breaker and I fist bumped with a grin before finally, I turned to Snake. What should I say to Snake? I was probably smiling like an idiot, which made me blush a little.

"Well, see you around Snake." I said to him simply, unsure about whether he was comfortable hugging me in front of everyone. To save me from embarrassment and just standing there awkwardly Snake took my arm and lifted it until he placed something into my palm then turned my fingers over so that we were holding hands, sort of, it was kinda upside down but it made me smile.

The pearl gleamed in my palm and my smile broadened further. Now I was grinning like an idiot. I looked up to Snake who was motionless. "This isn't pass the parcel, Snake." I told him humorously then decided I didn't care about everyone else standing there. I put my arms around his neck and hugged him.

For a moment he tensed, a little surprised but put his arms around me, pulling me closer. "Just don't get shot at until I get back. Or jump into the ocean in the middle of a storm." Now his shoulders shook in silent laughter. Leaning back a little I smiled then kissed his cheek, silencing that laughter.

"Hey! How come Snake gets a kiss?" Rip demanded, folding his arms across his chest with an adorable pout.

"Because you guys are all sweaty and horrible." I answered with an evil grin, swinging my pack over my shoulder. "I'll be back before you know it. Whilst I'm gone, I'd glue down your belongings if I were you. I'm coming back with a vengeance." Instantly they all went to pat their pockets, checking they still had everything there. I laughed, waving goodbye before jumping up onto the chopper and strapping myself in.

Turning my head I gave a soft smile as everyone stepped back, all looking at me with happier faces. It felt good to have my family back.


	27. Chapter 27

**Glad to be back so soon! Here y'all are, chapter twenty seven for your enjoyment! Ta tah!**

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The ranch was just as I had remembered it. It had been a stroke of luck, really. The old tenants were actually selling the property which made it easy to repossess on my behalf. I walked through the pens, the stables and reminded myself of the walks and rides I used to have in the woods.

Out in the woods however, in a clearing, stood a little grave. I knelt beside it. I had watched them lower Sabrina's coffin into the ground then covered it myself. Now all that was left was a little mound of earth and a headstone with her name, date of birth and date of death. Swallowing the lump in my throat I tore open the packet of flower seeds then sprinkled them into the ground before patting them down.

"I hope you like it here." I whispered to her softly. "It's where I grew up. Now I'll grow old here too." Smiling weakly I stood, stuffing the empty packet into my pocket before turning and walking back to the house. My house, my land, my memories. I had so many of them here, laughter filled my head as I walked up the wooden steps to the porch, gazing at the faded redwood and chipped white painted windows before going inside. It was your typical ranch house, two floors, large rooms, right next to the stables.

The place had been redecorated completely but thankfully the rooms hadn't been changed. Now that would have pissed me off. Still, I had two weeks. I had time to start restoring the place. It felt strange, walking up the stairs to my old room. Last time I had been here, it had been painted sunflower yellow with green chequered curtains, stuffed toys on the bed and shelves of books about animals.

The house felt bare, empty, like a shell but soon I would have it feeling like my home again. "Well dad, mom, I'm home." I whispered. "And I'll never let this place go. Not ever." Tossing my pack into the main bedroom I rolled up my sleeves then began to shift the furniture that had been left behind.

Anything too old, too broken or too musty was thrown into the old bonfire I used to roast marshmallows on. The ranch had been well looked after so there was little for me to do on the outside, just needed a few more things. Bed sheets for instance. Cleaning tools, some food and a lot of other stuff. Sticking my wallet into a zipped pocket I began to jog to town. It wasn't far, just literally down the hill but it brought back hundreds more memories. There was an old man sitting on a stool, playing his harmonica with a yellow stained moustache and a cowboy hat. "Howdy Jeffrey!" I yelled and he paused.

"Howdy there Robyn." Then continued to play. I smiled, waiting for him to realise. Suddenly he dropped his instrument and leaped to his feet, tilting his hat up to stare at me. "Well I'll be…it's Robyn!"

"Hey there, how's it been?" I asked. Jeffrey raced over and laughed, taking my shoulders to look at me.

"You look just like your ma, damn it's been years! You still remember an old goat like me?"

"Course I do, you old goat." I teased then hugged him tightly. Suddenly Jeffrey pulled away and began to holler.

"Folks! Come on out here! Our little Robyn has flown back to us!" Doors burst open and people came out of shops, abandoned their stalls to race over, smiling and gasping with shock.

"Robyn? Is that you darlin'? Oh look at you! So pretty…" I heard them all as they all crowded around, drawing me into their arms then wiping tears from their faces as they remembered the sweet little girl in pigtails who used to bring cookies around every Sunday and hand them out to the neighbourhood.

"It's great to be back. I've bought the old ranch back, so it's all mine again." I explained to them. "I've been waiting to come home for a very long time, it's so great to see you!"

"We have to celebrate, how about a dance? Yes! Let's have a dance!" Everybody cheered in agreement. We were a small town but we sure knew how to throw a party, I remembered them from my childhood. "Oh honey, what is it you need? Come get some food, you look hungry." Then someone asked the dreaded question.

"Where's your ma?" I stopped, choking a little as I tried to remain calm. I smiled sadly.

"She died in a fire."

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. Your parents were good folks." An older lady with a slight dumpy figure patted me on the shoulder as she steered me into the convenience store. "Now, you pick whatever you want and I'll buy it for you."

"Oh no, Celia please, you don't have to do that." I said to her quickly. "I can manage, I'm earning good money."

"What do you do?"

"I'm in the army." I told her and she gasped.

"Well bless your heart child, I always knew you were a good egg. Didn't fall far from the tree did you? Good girl, I'm proud of you. Your ma and da would be proud of you too." I purred inwardly with pride. "Now, come on. We all insist." With very little choice, I pushed a trolley around with a few ladies following, putting other items in when I tried to skip them to lower the cost.

They had all changed so much in my absence but I knew every single one of them by face and their smiles. They had taught me how to read, how to sew, how to cook, how to dance and all sorts of things. Most kids left town as soon as they could but I knew that this was the place my heart truly belonged. All that was missing were the horses.

Feline put some fresh bananas into my cart as well as some apples. "So tell me, is there a man in your life? We want details!" I giggled as she looked at me seriously, the twinkle never leaving her eye.

"Not as such." I said to them as they all gripped each other hopefully. "There is a guy but we're not together."

"Tell us more! Is he handsome?"

"Very." I nodded my head. "But not only that, he's a gentleman of the old sort. He can't speak though but he has a way with using his eyes to talk to you." I sighed a little, thinking back to those beautiful electric blue eyes I had only ever seen once. "I'd like you to meet him one day but I don't know if…you know…we'd ever happen. You see there's this other women-"

"Argh! There always is. Even in the greatest stories." Feline threw her hands up in the air as she put some cleaning products in. "Go on dear, tell us more."

"Well she's tall, beautiful, talented, brave, smart and clever, in all honesty I'm a little jealous of her." I admitted, looking down at my feet. "She paws at him all the time though, which irritates me to the point of explosion. She's always touching him, smiling at him, it makes my blood boil." The ladies all giggled.

"It seems someone has fallen hard."

"Yup." I popped the 'p' then sighed. "Flat on my face."

"You need to go up to him and tell him how you feel." A familiar voice said from the next aisle. I ducked down to look through the gap between the shelf and the freezer.

"Albert? Is that you? You've lost your belly!" I beamed at him and he chuckled richly, patting his now flat belly.

"Yes, took him a while but I insisted. He needed to lower that cholesterol of his." Annie-Marie said sharply but looked lovingly at her husband. "And hush! This is girl talk. Go find some newspapers to look through."

"Yes dear." He laughed, blowing a kiss to his wife who caught it discreetly then blew one back. I loved this town. This place was the only other time I'd felt at home, with a large family. I decided that it was the right choice to come back. Although my cart was now practically overflowing with food, toiletries and heaven knows what else.

"So dear, as you were saying. What's this gentleman's name?" Uh oh, what should I call him? The name Snake Eyes wasn't exactly on your Top 100 Names to Call Your Child list.

"Samuel." I answered simply. It was the first name that came to me head.

"Ooh! I like it. You'll have to bring him with you next time you're on leave." Celia said to me. "We'd love to meet him. We could also set you up?"

"No! Oh please no, we're in the same unit, it wouldn't really be practical to be together when we're out on call." I laughed uneasily. "I'm biding my time, that's all."

"Well, you'd better get in there before that _other_ woman or she'll take him away from you." My knuckles turned white from gripping the cart too tightly.

"Annie's right, men aren't too sensible when it comes to women. They listen to their heads so you've got to tell him you're the right one for him." Albert called from the newspaper stand.

"Girl talk!" His wife reprimanded and he grinned before returning to his paper. The ladies bought my groceries for me then called Jeffrey over with his pickup truck, putting the bags in the bag for him to help get them home. Then they all climbed in too. I laughed, smiling proudly. These old ladies were the best.

"Come on Jeff! We've got a house to clean!" Celia yelled, slapping the roof of the truck to signal that they were ready.

"Dang, I've missed being home." I chuckled as the old truck guttered into life then lurched forwards, making the ladies in the back yell aloud then laugh as a thick plume of dust shot out from under the wheels. All day we talked and cleaned. I told them everything that had happened to me, keeping as close to the truth as possible.

"Oh honey! You should have come back here! We'd have never have let you be without a home." Annie-Marie said as she washed the windows as I dragged the rug out to beat out the dust. "You poor pet."

"It wasn't so bad. It gave me a more optimistic view on life." I shrugged. "I volunteered for the army, went through training then haven't left since. I like the training. It's tough and pushes you beyond your limits."

"You always were a true cowgirl." Annie-Marie said, taking off her hat to drop it on my head. "There. Now all you need is a jacket and some boots."

"I'll be sure to get some." I smiled, tossing the rug over the line then began to hit it, coughing as the dust cloud flew out. "So tell me all that's happened! Any grandkids? Any arrests? I want details!" We all began to laugh. Once we'd cleaned the house from top to bottom I then began to scrape away the ugly magnolia wall paper from the hallway and living room.

I made plans with the ladies, all of us going over how I'd like to redecorate. I initially had planned to revert it to its old ways but then I remembered the just as disgusting lime green wallpaper my mom had put up in most of the rooms. Maybe not. We made colour patterns, talked about curtains and new furniture until we all sat down at the table with tea and biscuits.

"You know what this place is missing?" Celia said as she carefully dunked her biscuit. "Horses."

"Aye, horses. You need to get some horses back in those empty stables." Annie-Marie agreed with a slow nod of her head. "Your daddy always had horses."

"I will get some horses in once I know I have the time to focus solely on them. I don't want to have to keep abandoning every time I get a call back. It wouldn't be fair on them." I said. "But it has been years since I've sat in a saddle."

"Well blow me down we'll get you in one right now!" Celia stood, pushing back her chair. "Feline, ring that husband of yours and tell him to saddle up a horse for Robyn here. Honestly, where have our priorities gone? Cleaning the house first when we should have got a horse tacked up the moment we saw her! Come on!" Jumping to my feet I followed Celia as she marched forwards, leading the way over to the next ranch which was only a few minutes away, Feline calling her husband as we walked.

When I walked up the driveway and the familiar scent of horses enveloped me, I began to feel giddy. "What if I can't handle the horse? I haven't ridden in over ten years!" I said but Annie-Marie clucked her tongue.

"A rider like you could never forget. Even as a small child you were barrel racing with the best of them. You never forget to ride, just let it all come back to you." Sucking in a deep breath we approached Benjamin, who had a horse tacked up next to her. She was a beautiful chestnut appaloosa with white powdery spots on her rump. Instantly I was going to her and holding out my hand, allowing her to meet me and get used to my scent.

She was curious, stepping towards me with a large step but I didn't let her intimidate me, holding my ground. It showed that I was in charge. Lowering her head she sniffed my hand then allowed me to stroke her, wrapping myself in her scent. "This here is Ginger. Beautiful ride, though I wouldn't give you one of the stallions just to be safe." Ben said to me, patting her neck. "You ready?"

"I'm ready." I grinned then lifted myself up into the saddle. I walked her over to the open pen where a few jumps were already set up. I walked and trotted circuits with Ginger, warming her up until she was all lose and smoothly stepping, keeping up the energy in her trot.

"There you are! See? What did I say? Never forget to ride. It's in your blood!" Annie called and I beamed, turning my head towards a jump. It was rather high, higher than any I had ever jumped before but I was determined. "Come on, atta girl!" I whispered, easing her into a canter, the transition smooth as I guided her head around.

Everyone's jaws dropped as we sailed over the jump, me tucking myself into position before rising at the landing, grinning from ear to ear. "Ginger's never jumped like that! I can't even get her to do a foot off the ground." Benjamin whispered to Feline who clapped her hands, jumping with excitement. "That's talent, that is."

I did a few more jumps, absorbing the sensation of flying as I did what I loved most. Riding. Holding the reins in one hand I guided Ginger around some barrels, keeping the canter collected and controlled as she rounded them. "You're doing great!" Celine called out to me. Then a flock of pigeons flew out from the bushes and Ginger reared.

She thrashed out with her hooves, the whites of her eyes showing as her ears flattened against her neck. I leaned forwards, keeping grip with my thighs as she cried out then dropped down, bucking her back legs then began to go all out rodeo. Everyone gasped hands clapping to their mouths but I held on, rolling my body with the movement then took off my hat, laughing with excitement as I let her buck herself out before pushing her forwards into a trot.

Once she was once again under my guidance, I stopped her, letting her calm down and catch her breath whilst stroking her neck. "Good girl, that's the spirit." I said to her, scratching her shoulder then rubbed her at a pressure point to help soothe her.

"Well, it's great to see you're as wild as ever." Benjamin smiled, tipping his hat to me. "I'm sorry about that, she's not normally spooked."

"Nah, she was just trying to see if she could get away with it. Weren't you girl?" She snorted in reply. "See?"

"You're a very good rider. I haven't seen you around here before." A deep masculine voice mused and I looked to the man on Benjamin's right as he leaned against the post, looking up at me under his hat. His sandy blond hair went well with his light green eyes. He was a tough looking man, with thick shoulders and plenty of muscle.

"I'm an old favourite." I told him, clicking my neck a little as Ginger lifted her head, signalling she was ready. I moved her around in tight circles then backed her up, testing out familiar waters. "What about yourself? I didn't go to school with you did I?"

"I was the year above you." He answered. "Toby Daniels. Remember me?" The name rang a bell, a very distant bell but a bell all the same.

"A little. You weren't the jock who used to shove nerdy kids into the girl's toilets were you?" He grinned.

"That was me." I blinked at him blankly.

"How impressive." Tapping my heels to Ginger's flank she cantered forwards, all too eager to pick up the pace but I reined her in. Once Ginger had worked enough to earn herself a nap, I jumped off and led her back over to her stall. The ladies were all talking with Benjamin so I put Ginger away, tacking off her tack then rubbed her down with a warm sponge.

"You were that girl who always used to get into fights, weren't you?" I nodded my head without looking up to Toby, focussing on Ginger who seemed to be enjoy her rub down. "And the one who lost the ranch at ten." He hit a sore spot.

"I bought it back."

"I heard. So, are you doing anything later?"

"Redecorating." I answered simply, not elaborating.

"Need a hand?"

"Nope. I got it." I glanced his way and he smirked. His blond hair just touched his shoulders, making his jaw look even more defined than it already was, as well as the cleft chin. "I'm getting a hand from everyone in town apparently."

"Oh good, I'll drop in and help too." I didn't want him too. I didn't like the way he was looking at me, like a mare at auction.

"Robyn! You in there?"

"Where else would I be?" I answered back to Benjamin who laughed.

"True. Come on, there's someone I want you to meet." He said as he reached the door, glancing to Toby. "You two getting along?"

"Famously." I said with a hint of sarcasm. Finishing Ginger's rub down I checked her water, fished out a little hay then picked up he saddle and bridle.

"Let Toby take that. Come on." Benjamin smiled so I dumped the gear into Toby's arms then followed excitedly, wondering who he wanted me to meet. He was leading me to a stall, so I got even more excited. When I looked in, I let out a breath of awe.

"She's beautiful." Her fine head lifted and she snorted at me, her black coat glistening like jet. Her mane was slightly tangled and there were a few mud spots on her belly but she had the most magnificent composition I had seen in a very long time. Her wide nostrils flared on her regal head, lifting a hoof to paw the ground with muscular but refined shoulders. Then in noticed her swollen belly.

"How long?"

"A few weeks yet. She's from a fine line of wild mustangs, still a little bit wild herself. She managed to get out and I guess another wild one must have found her because a few weeks after catching her again, she was swelling up like a balloon." I reached in slowly and offered my hand. The mare turned her head away and swished her tail.

"She's very proud, isn't she?"

"Normally she bites. I'm not sure what to do with this one. The only people she seems to trust are children and women. Feline takes care of her mostly but she's not as strong as she once was. If that mare decides to lash out or bolt, I worry what will happen." I could see what Benjamin meant but what did this have to do with me?

"So I got thinking. You have empty stables, I have too many horses. How about we do a little bit of liaising? I'll sell you a few if you want for good prices once you're in and settled down." I stared at him, mouth dropping. "Except for Magic, Magic you can have for free, as well as her foal." My jaw dropped further.

"Really?"

"Aye. Welcome home little Robyn." I flung my arms around him and gripped him into a tight but careful hug.

"Boy! You sure have a pair of arms on you. At least I know she'll be in safe hands." Ben patted my shoulder and smiled, tilting his hat back. "So what do you say?"

"I say…it's great to be home."


	28. Chapter 28

**Sorry for the long delay but I went camping with some friends and had no access to the internet, so I've been offline for a while! But I'm back and to celebrate summer, I'll post a few chapters really quickly, right now in fact! So please enjoy and thank you for all being patient with me, happy holidays!**

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Every day the house became more and more like how I remembered it, except for the lime wallpaper. I scraped off the old wallpaper and began to paint a white coating on. The house was so empty that it was easy to do, especially with the older ladies and a few men helping me from noon to the moment they went home again late in the evening, bringing me back for some good food and a laugh.

It was so quick that the entire house was redecorated within the week. Slowly, new furniture began to filter in. I ordered online because it was easier for delivery apart from a few things I saw in town that I decided I liked. I was not used to having money so I was careful to spend it wisely.

Though I did splash out on some cowboy boots and some denim. Hey, I'm a ranch girl at heart! I also made sure to spend at least an hour of my time every day with Magic, getting her used to me. Soon she was letting me pet her though once she had had enough, she made it known. She never went to bite me but I was always aware.

By the end of the week I got a letter from Roberto and a photo, he and Maria standing proudly in front of their newly renamed restaurant which they had finally bought and opened. _La Bellezza di Isabella_. I chuckled as I held the photo, feeling honoured that he had named it after me with our secret name. I would have to go and try their menu one day.

Roadblock's family were just forty minutes' drive away so I called ahead and borrowed Albert's car to go and pick them up and bring them back. In a better car, I suppose it would take a little less time. Poppy and Daisy loved the horses, they even got to ride a few after pleading with an acting Benjamin, who was pretending to be cold hearted before laughing and finding them a pony each to ride. Even Millie got on a horse though after half an hour she declared she would stick to dancing.

"Can we see the mare again? Please Robyn!" Poppy begged so I took them over to Magic.

"You must be very quiet though, she's very shy and has a bit of a temper." I warned them. "So calm down, otherwise you might spook her." Instantly they stopped jumping about and followed me over. I lifted Daisy up, propping her on my hip then clucked my tongue, holding out a carrot for Magic. She took it then nuzzled my hand. It's an improvement, she's never been affectionate before. Maybe it was because I had children with me. She was a mother at heart.

"When will her foal be born?" Daisy asked. "Can we come and see the baby when it's here?"

"Of course. It will be here in a few weeks, ready for Spring." I explained to them. "Magic will look after her baby for a while and I'll help keep it healthy before I start to train it."

"Will it be a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know. We won't know until its born." I continued to answer their questions before I finally persuaded them to come into town with me. I showed them where I lived and then took them to visit everyone. Celia adored the girls, calling them her little sweethearts as she showed them how to kneed bread, which she was making from scratch. As I distracted the younger ones, dancing with them in the street Millie chatted away happily with my neighbourhood, glad to see younger people again.

It seems more people were moving out than moving in, wanting the city life. We got plenty of visitors but they never stayed long. "So my little sweethearts, would you like to come back?" Celia asked, looking to Annie-Marie who was smiling at us and coming over.

"Yes! Can we come back mom? You said we could come and see the foals in spring time!" Daisy begged and Millie laughed.

"I don't see why not. We'll definitely be coming here a bit more often, I expect, if you want those riding lessons." The girls gasped.

"Really!" They squealed and hugged their mom, who smiled and embraced them back.

"Seems like Ben's got a few more students on his hands." Annie said then placed a hand on my shoulder. "Toby's been asking after you a lot. I think he's quite taken."

"Well, as you all know, my affections lay with another." I chuckled then became a little serious, thinking deeply. I hoped he wouldn't get offended if I have to turn him down flat. Pushing this aside, I continued with entertaining my guests.

"You should get a dog. Every ranch has a dog, don't they?" Poppy said to me as I walked with them back to my home where I was wondering about what to cook for their dinner.

"Benjamin had four doggies!" Daisy remembered. "They all jumped up at us to say hello."

"Maybe one day, I'll have to think about it." I said to them. "But if I did…what should I call it?" Then a long list of names were reeled off at me, making both Millie and I laugh. Once the girls began to fall asleep from such an exciting day I helped Millie carry them over to Albert's car before driving them back.

"Thank you so much. They've had a great day. I'm so glad you showed them a new view on life, they didn't even look at their phones once!" Millie smiled as she tucked them both in. "When you see my husband, tell him I love him for me?"

"I will. It was good to see you again Millie. Good luck with your dance school." I said then started the journey back. It was late as I parked Albert's car onto his drive. The door opened as the engine guttered out. "Come in pet! We've got pie hot from the oven for you." I love this town.

Smiling I followed her in, putting the keys into the jar where they belonged as I passed. "Thanks for lending me your car Al." I said as I hugged him. "They all had a great day."

"Not at all, it's good to see new faces around here." He said, sitting down and began to cut himself a rather large portion.

"Uh!" Annie-Marie slapped his hand then eyeballed him dangerously. Albert pouted and pulled a sad face, pleading quietly. Annie relented. "Oh go on then. You old sausage." Albert smiled then reclaimed his large pie slice. Annie cut me a piece, also considerably large, then tucked in herself. "So you were saying about this fellow. What does he look like? I must admit I'm intrigued. As a child you swore you'd never marry, you'd spend your whole life with horses." I chuckled.

"I said that?"

"You sure did. Loud and proud." Albert said to me, mixing his peas with the gravy juice.

"Well, he's got brown hair and blue eyes. He's fairly tall, around Albert's height. Though compared to me, everyone is tall." I said, referring to my small stature. "He's fairly broad, well toned from his training and has the nicest manners a guy could have. Old time chivalry, I'd say." To avoid speaking further I put a large chunk of pie in my mouth.

"Sounds like my Albert back in the day." Annie smiled lovingly, reaching across the table to hold his hand. They gazed lovingly at each other and I sat back, watching them contently. I'd like that one day. When I'm old, wrinkled and grey, I'd like a man to look at me and still think I was the most beautiful woman in the world.

"So how long are you enlisted for?" Albert said to me, making me waken from my daydream.

"A few years yet, I think. Five at the most. So that means you won't be able to see me all that often but after those five years, I should be back with a flexible contract. Six months in, six months out or something." They frowned slightly.

"You're going to stay in the army all your life? Honey, you've got to start planning beyond that. One day you'll be too old to fight or you'll be badly hurt, then how are you going to support those horses you want? Let alone yourself."

"It's what I enjoy. I love being out there in the thick of it, fighting for my country." I didn't tell them that I had saved the world, the detail seemed a bit too unimportant. Unimportant and classified. "And I don't intend to be there forever, just until I've earned a good reputation to get me a good fund for later years." They looked at each other with worry.

"We just worry about you dear. We don't want you to get hurt, or worse, killed. We've only just got you back." I smiled softly at them.

"Don't worry. With my unit, it's pretty darn hard to die. We've got each other's backs and we're some of the best soldiers the military has to offer. I'm good at what I do. Besides. Someone's got to fight for this country and enlistment numbers are falling."

"We're all so proud of you, Robyn, doing what you do. You make sure you think about us when you're out there. Think about your ranch and the horses, let them bring you back."

"I sure will, Annie, I sure will."


	29. Chapter 29

**Warning, plot twists are evil!**

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Two weeks went by too quickly. I was sad to leave but eager to go. I wanted to see my team again. There were a lot of tears as I walked out of my house, army pack shouldered and wearing my uniform. "Stay safe!" Celia sobbed, dabbing her eyes. "We'll be thinking of you every day!"

"Thanks Celia. I'll miss you all." I said then began to hug them all. Celia, Feline, Benjamin, Albert and finally Annie-Marie, her faded red hair tucked under her hat. She glanced up to it, the worn brown colour suiting her complexion. It was the hat she had worn the day I got back, the one she had let me wear for the day. "Here. Take this with you. Remember, before you were army, you were a true born cowgirl!" She stuck it on my head then drew me into a shaky head. "Take care of yourself, make sure not to intentionally put yourself in danger." A little hard in my line of work but I will try.

"I promise. You all take care, Feline? Make sure you tell Magic I love her." I said, handing over a chequered shirt I had worn a lot over the two weeks. "Make sure she doesn't forget me."

"I won't darling. I'll make sure she remembers you." After another round of hugs and goodbyes, I stepped into the cab which drove off, leaving my beloved ranch and family behind. I sighed, closing my eyes as I leaned back.

He drove me to the nearest army base which had a chopper waiting for me. I was surprised when Rip got out to greet me. "Hey girl! Show me some love!" I dropped my bag and flung my arms around him, laughing as he spun me around, easily lifting me off the ground. "How've you been? Two weeks was longer than I thought!"

"I know, I've been redecorating and handling horses." I explained to him. "It feels great to be a rancher girl again."

"Even better to be a Joe." He grinned. "Come on, you're flying." My face paled.

"Huh? You're not going to throw sneak attacks at me this time?" He shook his head with a grin. Still, I proceeded with all caution. We flew out of America and across the sea, talking happily with one another. I still kept a careful eye out for surprises.

"Ah come on, you're still mad about that?"

"Yes." I said to him. "You deserved being ejected." We both laughed. Good times, good times. As I landed on the airfield, I smiled as Scarlet stood there waited, hands clasped behind her back, already suited up. Rip met her first, giving her a kiss before she turned to me. "Welcome back. You're just in time."

"Time for what?" She inclined her head so I continued to walk with her. Subconsciously I stuck a hand in my pocket and checked that my pearl was still there, rolling it over my thumb. It hadn't left my side in two weeks. I always kept it with me in a sealed pocket.

"There have been bank attacks all over the world. Respective law enforcers have no clue who is behind the attacks or how they do it. They're in, they're out without ever leaving a trace. Countries hit are US, England, Italy, China, Japan, Spain and Germany." She debriefed as she led me us to the bridge. "Drop your bag off with Bird, she'll take it back for you." I handed my rucksack over with a grateful nod to the girl who smiled, flustered, then hurried off.

Hawk was on the bridge with Heavy and Breaker, when they heard us enter they all looked up. "Welcome back sweetheart." Heavy said to me. "Nice holiday?"

"Great thanks. What have we got?"

"This is the CTTV feed leading up to the attack." Breaker said. "This is London, twelve minutes past one." I watched the security feed.

"What am I looking for?"

"We were hoping you could tell us, you've got the best eyes in this place. Can you see anything we're missing?" I squinted slightly to concentrate harder.

"So they, what, break into the vaults, steal the cash then get out?" Breaker shook his head.

"No. They do the opposite. They put in money." I blinked.

"How is that a bad thing?"

"If you increase the sum of money too fast into any system, the value decreases until the money is worth nothing." Scarlet explained. "Hyperinflation."

"Oh, right." Returning my focus, I watched. When the screen went blank, I frowned. It stayed blank for three minutes before returning to its feed. "Go back to one twenty." I said to Breaker. "Slow down the feed." He did so and I watched, leaning in closer. Then my jaw dropped. "Stop!" I practically shrieked, making Ripcord leap out of his skin.

"Dang girl! What is it?"

"It's Sabrina!" I yelled, pointing to a figure walking across the road, wearing a long, stylish coat which she was obviously hiding her tail.

"How can it be Sabrina? Isn't she…you know…dead?" I glared at him.

"I know she's dead! She died in my arms with a bullet in her chest and she's buried in my back garden!" Frantically I gripped my hair. "Run a scan against Sabrina Anderson, married in two thousand to George Baker." Breaker found the certificate, found a photo of their wedding then ran the scan.

"It's a match." He blinked in shock. "How is this possible?" I was asking myself the same thing. How was she alive? I had held her in my arms. I had heard her heart stop beating. She was dead! With a bullet in her chest!

"She doesn't have a twin, does she?" I glared at Rip who held up his hands in surrender. "Just asking."

"Show me the other feeds. I want to see every single bank attack and the minutes leading up to them." I said, leaning over Breaker who pulled up the feeds. I walked around the table at the holographic images, pointing to each one and telling Breaker to pause when I saw Sabrina arrive on screen of each video feed. It was crazy. Not only was she in every single feed, but somehow she was in London at one time then in Italy _five minutes_ later. On the same day! Even with the time zone thing!

"There's more than one of her." I breathed, eyes widening.

"How is that possible? Scarlet, Breaker, any ideas?"

"Cloning seems like the only possibility but it's impossible to generate a human being and grow them to full maturity in the space of a few months." Scarlet frowned, thinking deeply. "Maybe it's just a hologram?"

"It's her." I assured them. "She walks the same, acts the same…" They all looked at me with blank expressions. "She walks with her head slightly bowed and she stops when she passes a jewellery store. She always did that when we were on the streets together. Plus, she twiddles that lock of hair between her thumb and index finger only on her right side. It's her. I'd bet my life on it."

"It could just be an incredibly skilled impersonator, Zartan wasn't the only one in business." Breaker reasoned gently. I was reluctant to agree but I did see that this could be a possibility.

"Look at some earlier feed, run it through another scan to see if she shows up any earlier." She did, at every bank, about ten minutes before she went in."

"We have to find her." I begged quietly, pleading with Hawk. "Or them. I have to find out if it's her and what the hell is going on. If she's alive and if she's the _real_ Sabrina then I owe it to her." Hawk nodded his head.

"Have transportation on standby. Breaker, I want you watching the feeds for all major economies not yet attacked. Figure out their next target then get over there, try and take in this woman and find out everything you can." Hawk ordered and people began to rush to carry out his orders. "Team Alpha, suit up. Heavy, I'll leave it to you to organise who goes." Instantly I turned my eyes to Heavy Duty who nodded.

"I want you there, you might be able to talk to her. You too Scarlet." I nodded in thanks then went to get suited up. Scarlet helped me, making sure my gloves were charged and I had spare mag to go. Taking my bottoms I fished out the pearl then rubbed it between my fingers before carefully placing it in my drawer. "You and Snake seem close now." I lifted my head to Scarlet who was arching an eyebrow with a knowing look.

"We did nearly drown together. Twice. I'd say that's it's appropriate to be a little bit close." I tried but she only looked at me with disbelief. "Okay, so maybe a little more than that. On my part only, though."

"I wouldn't be too sure." Scarlet said, smirking as I slid a swiss army knife into my boot. "He cares about you a lot."

"Like the way he cares about you?" She stopped, unsure about how to reply. "It's okay. I think he likes Jinx anyway. They're always together." Again Scarlet couldn't argue. We hurried over to the airfield where Heavy was looking at the team he had put together. Lady Jaye, Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes, Scarlet and Roadblock.

"You know what to do. The target is this woman." Heavy held up a picture of Sabrina and I bit my lip and chewed on it whilst tucking my hair behind my ear with my little finger. "You're to bring her in alive for questioning. Advice is approach with extreme caution. She don't wear gloves to take care of her nails, she's got claws and knows how to use them." Heavy placed a hand on my shoulder. "Any intel on this girl, ask Hood. We'll keep you posted on what's going on. You're going to Switzerland." Looking to Heavy I nodded my head then climbed into the jet with the others.

"Take care of yourselves." Duke called out. "Robyn? Don't let your emotions rule your head." I nodded my head in understanding though I knew it would be hard to not feel protective over Sabrina, even if it turned out she was just an imposter wearing a hologram.

What troubled me was her feet. It was definitely her, because she had oddly shaped feet. Unnoticeable at first glance but I knew that they were shaped that way because of her paws and bone structure to make her look like a cat. It had to be here.

So who had died in my arms?


	30. Chapter 30

**So now there's a new threat and a possibility that Sabrina is not dead...what do you guys all think about that? Make sure to drop a comment in the big box down at the bottom of your screen, I love hearing from you all!**

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All the way I was unable to sit still. I bounced my knee up and down as I fiddled with my fingers, staring at the floor. "Hey." Jaye shoved me gently. "It's going to be okay." I looked up at her with a sigh.

"I just don't get it. I saw her die. I heard her heart stop beating." Now Jaye was frowning.

"You can do that?"

"Yeah. Comes in handy when I'm picking out liars." I answered. "Modified sense receptors. Breaker said I had the nose of a dog, the eyes of a hawk and the ears of an owl." She blinked at me for a second, digesting the information.

"So…when you eat a curry…." I cracked a smile.

"It burns." I affirmed, leaning back and closing my eyes.

"Well, that helps us a little. You can pick up her scent, right?" I nodded my head, turning my head to look at her. "Well if it's Sabrina then you'd be able to smell it. If it's not then we know it's just an imposter." This made me feel a little better. "You know, I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"Back at the Whitehouse, when those mutants were hammering us down? I know it was you who carried me inside when I got knocked out by that bear." She touched her head in memory. "So thanks for coming back for me."

"I wasn't going to leave you behind, was I? Besides. I enjoy wrestling bears. It's my favourite pass time." She smiled, looking down at her feet to try and keep from laughing. I wonder why she never laughed. I didn't ask though, deciding silence was more comfortable.

"What we need to know is why she's destroying the world's economy." Scarlet said as she polished her crossbow. "And how she is doing it. What's the point? Most crooks want to take people's money, not give them more."

"Maybe that's the point. Maybe she just wants the world to fall into chaos." I shook my head.

"She's not working alone. How would she get the equipment she'd need to hack the computers? I'm sure that's how she's doing it, there's no other explanation. She's working either with or for someone." Everyone glanced around.

"What do you know about her?" Roadblock asked, speaking for the first time. "We need to know what we're dealing with.

"I can tell you about the old Sabrina, no problem. This new Sabrina will be more educated guesses." I warned them before casting my mind back. "She's used to being poor, every time we walked passed a jewellery store, she'd pick out one thing that she'd want out the entire window then get me to do the same. Although she never did well at school she's very street smart, she knows all the old tricks because…uh…I taught her." I blushed with a little shame.

"What else?"

"Her new cat genes allow her to be agile and lithe, she can run on a wall no problem, like Snake and Storm can but for longer. Also those claws can leave you with a deep scar but its her teeth you want to watch. They are damn sharp." I subconsciously touched my throat where she had tried to bite into me once before. "She's also a lot stronger than she looks, so be warned. Also, she's quite manipulative. She's talked a guy into giving her fifty bucks before so we have to grab her before she can turn the public on us." Running through my head I continued to list everything I knew about her.

"She can speak French, quite fluently as well, also a bit of Spanish but that's it." Roadblock nodded his head.

"Do you know who she might be working for?"

"No one who would want to decrease the value of money. The only person I can think of who would want to send the world into chaos is Cobra Commander. I would say we could ask him but, I kinda threw him off a cliff." Jaye and Scarlet looked at me in surprise before they looked to Roadblock.

"She did?"

"Well…she sorta tackled him over the edge. Says it all in the report." Block answered with a shrug. "Okay. So here's the plan." We wait for confirmation that she's heading for one of the banks. We drop down and wait for her to appear. Storm, Snake and Jaye, you'll be on surrounding rooftops. If she runs, you keep track of her. I'll be waiting nearby with a pursuit and escape vehicle, which leaves Scarlet and Robyn to intercept." I held up my hands.

"I won't be able to make contact. If she sees me, she'll run."

"I'll take her down with a sedative then bring her around to you, Block." Scarlet said then looked to me. "You just be ready to run after her if things go wrong. Out of all of us, you'll be the only one who could keep up." I nodded my head then chewed on my lip.

"The sedative won't hurt her, will it?" I asked slowly but Scarlet shook her head.

"It'll just be like falling asleep." Satisfied I leaned back as she went over to a cupboard and began to change into civilian clothes. She tossed me a bundle so I began to detach myself from my suit. I glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Snake quickly looked away. Blushing a little I turned back around then dressed in limber jeans, a black shirt and a jacket. I concealed my guns under the jacket, strapping the holsters so that they fit on the body straps before rolling up my gloves and tucking them into my belt pouch, which I wound higher up my waist to hide the longer jacket.

"We've got a hit, sending you location." Breaker's voice suddenly appeared in my ear from the piece I was wearing. "You have ten minutes before she makes contact. You have to stop her before she gets there."

"Alright everyone, mount up." I looked over to the SUV parked in the jet with us then opened the door, letting Jaye and Scarlet in first before following. Roadblock sat at the wheel, waiting as the pilot dropped down low then opened the hatch. Roadblock drove out, tyres screeching before we joined the road then followed the directions on screen.

We could be there and set up in seven minutes, I prayed that this would work. Roadblock stopped a street away, letting Jaye, Storm and Snake get out to move into position before looking back at us. "You sure you're okay for this?" I nodded my head confidently.

"She might be my friend, but she's also being a pain in my ass." With that I jumped out then hid in a nearby alley with a clear view of the bank. People bustled calmly in the streets, calling out either on their phones or too each other. The atmosphere reminded me of home.

We waited until a scent caught my nose. It was definitely her. "Guys, I've got her scent." I paused, swallowing. "It's Sabrina."

"Alright, do you have visual?"

"Not yet. Ten seconds." I calculated in my head, judging by the intensity of the scent. When she did come into view, I held my breath. She wore a large hat to cover her ears and dark glasses for her eyes. Her boots looked uncomfortable, like she just wanted to rip them off but she wore a high heel to match the slope of her cat paws, the leather rising to her thigh.

Lifting a hand she twiddled a lock of hair with her right hands, twisting it around before letting it go. I knew it was her. Swallowing I watched as Scarlet moved in for contact. "Scarlet's made her move." I murmured quietly so that Sabrina wouldn't hear me. I watched as she continued towards the bank but when she turned her head towards Scarlet, she stopped. Scarlet kept going, looking down at her phone as if there was nothing wrong in the world. Oh no…she had found my scent on Scarlet.

"I think she's figured us out." I whispered. "I'm such an idiot! She'd pick up my scent on all of you!"

"Scarlet, you have to get her now, before she runs."

"Too late." I muttered darkly. Sabrina leaped into the road, flying gracefully over a car then bolted. I raced after her. "Storm, she's heading your way."

"I see her." He replied calmly as I tore after Sabrina. She grabbed a stall and tipped it over, making the owner cry out in anger and alarm as his vegetables flew all over the ground. I jumped over the wreckage, following Sabrina as she cut into a busy street and ran into the road, leaping over cars and slowly putting distance between us. I powered further forwards, closing the gap inch by inch.

"She's heading east, Roadblock, you need to take a left turn now!" Scarlet called as she followed my movements from the image on her phone she was receiving. "Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, try and take her down." I watched as they dropped down, weapons raised. Sabrina hissed, ripping off her gloves then bared her fangs, going straight for Storm Shadow.

He ducked and rolled out of the way, slashing his katana as Snake Eyes did the same. I wanted to scream for them to not hurt her but I kept my mouth shut, pulling out my gloves and sliding them onto my hands. With a swift kick of her heeled feet Storm crashed into a wall, cracking it underneath him as he slumped. Snake managed to catch hold of Sabrina, spinning her around then tried to lock her in place but she tore his arms from around her then grabbed his throat and arm, keeping his katana away as she buried him into the ground, one foot standing on his only spare wrist as she began to chock him.

"Sabrina!" I yelled, drawing her attention to me. Snake kicked her over his head, rolling around but she was already running away again. "Get him out of here!" I pointed to Storm Shadow as I raced passed. Snake shouldered Storm then disappeared into the dark.

"Jaye, are you still up high?"

"Barely keeping up but yes. She's heading towards the…oh no. She's just got into a car!" Crap, I need to get my head into gear. Somehow my strides became longer and I sprinted forwards, cutting through an alley as I followed Jaye's direction. "Okay, three, two, one, jump!" I leaped. My body collided with a car and I grunted, clinging on as I swung onto the roof. With nothing to grip onto but the sides, I held on tight.

It began to swerve, slamming into other passing cars, throwing them off the road before swerving the other way and threatening to hit civilians. "Get them off the road."

"Aye captain." I grunted then swung my body around, sliding down the front. When I looked in, my eyes widened. The person driving, was Sabrina. With Sabrina also sitting in the back. What? When I saw the barrel of a gun aimed at me, I reacted quickly. I punched through the window, shattering the glass then grabbed the wheel, jerking it as I turned my head to watch the road.

The bullet fired but the force had thrown it way off balance. It went through the roof. I forced the car off road and through a market, wrestling as the other Sabrina tried to regain control. She hissed and spat in my face, lashing out with her claws. I forgot I wasn't wearing my suit. Four deep gashes started to bleed in my upper arm as I swallowed then held my breath. With one final tug, I pulled us off a bridge and into the water.

The two Sabrina's screamed as I let go, pushing off to dive in myself. I opened my eyes after landing in the water, seeing a plume of blood rise from my wounds before they healed over completely. Turning I swam down to the car which was sinking quickly. I grabbed the driver Sabrina, who was knocked out but still alive, before going after the other. She was still awake and fought against me but I wrapped an arm tightly around her, limiting her movements before rising to the surface.

Driver Sabrina just floated on the water so I turned the hissing and spitting Sabrina around then head butted her, knocking her out too. "Damn, you always knew how to put up a fight." I muttered then swam back towards the bridge where Roadblock pulled up. He tossed down a line and I wrapped it around one of the Sabrina's before letting him up, Storm Shadow throwing down another then he and Snake lifted me and the last Sabrina up also.

We bundled everyone into the SUV then raced out of there as sirens began to blare. Shivering I stared down at the two Sabrinas', confused beyond belief. "Robyn?" Block looked to me with a questioning look in his eyes.

"They're both her." I answered, lowering my head slightly. "I don't understand." I inhaled a little deeper, trying to puzzle this out. "Wait…there's something off." Everyone looked at me expectantly. "There's something wrong with their scent. It's Sabrina's but something is underneath it. Something unnatural." I sneezed then took off my jacket, dropping it on the floor before pulling out a supply pack from under the seat. I was glad it was a big SUV otherwise we would be all squashed together.

"Can you describe it?" Scarlet asked me as I shook out a large blanket then wrapped it around one Sabrina after Jaye and finished cuffing them up and binding their feet together.

"It smells like static." I answered. "A little like rust but with a sort of pulse to it, like an electric signal." Scarlet nodded her head in understanding.

"Could it be an after effect of cloning?"

"Don't know. I'll be sure to ask." I said to her, wrapping the other Sabrina in another then searched for another. There wasn't one. "You are so not getting any chocolate cake for your birthday this year." I scowled at both women as they sat there, heads rolled forwards as they swayed with the movement of the vehicle.

A gentle hand touched my shoulder and Snake pointed to the tears in my sleeve. "I'm fine. It's all healed over." I assured him, rolling up my sleeve to show him. "I just forgot I wasn't wearing my suit." Nodding his head he pulled me back then placed an arm around me in an attempt to keep me warm. I lowered my head to his shoulder, my hair still dripping wet.

"I'm gonna need a shower." I muttered under my breath. "And some hot cocoa." Snake rubbed my arm gently and soon I found myself fading into sleep.


	31. Chapter 31

I sat with my fingers laced together, resting on the table as we had a stare off. The Sabrina who had tried to rob the bank glared at me, occasionally pulling back her lips to bare her fangs at me. "How are you alive?" I asked her in a blank tone, never blinking.

"Well you see, when a man loves a woman…" I clenched my jaw.

"You know what I mean. I watched Sabrina die in my arms. She had a bullet rammed into her chest. Now you tell me what's going on and you tell me right now."

"Why should I?" She challenged, ears twitching with her tail in anger.

"Because right now, I'm the only one who's keeping the government away from you." I leaned forwards and lowered my voice. "You see, you're not technically human, so all human rights do not apply to you. Which means they can do whatever the hell they like to you. Now you can either tell me what's going on or you let someone else ask you, only they'll torture you for it, in every way imaginable." Her lips curled into a cruel smile.

"You wouldn't let them. I'm Sabrina. The one who roamed the streets with you. You used to buy me chocolate cake on my birthday and on Christmas." I didn't move but I didn't flinch either, just continued to look at her.

"She's dead." I replied curtly. "Whoever you are, you aren't her."

"What makes you think that?"

"You smell wrong." That made her eyes widen slightly with fear. I smirked. I had her scared now.

"What do you mean?" I leaned back without answering. Slowly she glanced to the one sided mirror where Hawk stood on the other side with Scarlet, Breaker and Heavy. "Is he there?" I arched an eyebrow at her. "The ninja. The black suited one."

"Why? You fancy asking him out for tuna?" I asked coolly, making her hiss.

"You care about him." She informed me with a vicious gleam in her eyes as she tried to make me feel uncomfortable. I brushed it off.

"I care about all my team."

"Specifically him. You sounded afraid when I was choking him."

"I owe him my life." Keeping things simple and secret I sighed, tilting my head back to click it. "So, is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Only that you're going to die." This didn't surprise me.

"Of course I will. Everyone dies." I returned easily. "I meant specifically about what your plan is. Who do you work for?" She smirked then looked away. "You know, I heard they've found these old pliers." Slowly she turned her cat eyes back to me. "Yeah, they've figured that they could use them to yank off your claws." I demonstrated, pretending to pull my nails off. "One. By. One." She shuddered then looked back at the mirror. "And I heard that breaking a tail is like breaking your spine. Excruciatingly painful and once it's broken, you lose all balance."

"Stop that." She hissed.

"Did I mention that they're also bringing in some scientists? Since you're not human, they're allowed to dissect you." I lowered my voice and whispered spookily. "Whilst you're still alive."

"Stop!" She screeched, leaping up but the shackles kept her restrained as she tried to claw at me. I sat their calmly, smirking. "You can't let them take my claws! Or my tail, not my tail!" She whined, sniffing as she sat down with a thud. "I can't tell you anything."

"Sure you can. It's like walking, only you use your mouth and you make sounds. One word after the other." I replied sardonically then leaned forwards again. "I can guarantee you safety, if that's what you want."

"What about freedom?" She spat at me.

"Not so much. But hey, at least you'll still be alive." I replied cheerfully. Sighing she growled at me before answering.

"You were right." I arched an eyebrow. "About the clones."

"How many are you?" She shrugged.

"I don't know. I didn't ask, he didn't say."

"He?"

"That's all I'm saying." Well it was a start. Getting up I nodded.

"Alright. I'll leave you to your salmon and milk. Guess what though? We get to do this all over again tomorrow!" She yowled as the door swung shut behind me. Glancing to the other door I waited until Hawk had stepped out with the others. "She wasn't lying. We really are dealing with clones." I informed. "Want me to go interrogate the other one now?"

"Take a break. You look frustrated." True, I did feel frustrated.

"Yes sir." I nodded then walked away with Scarlet. "So what do you think?"

"The only person with the mind to even have a chance of successfully cloning someone is Cobra Commander and he's a little washed out." I chuckled at her attempt at sarcasm. She was leaning well. "But…" She stopped walking.

"What is it Scarlet?" Her eyes widened.

"What if he did manage it?" The cogs ticked in my head. I got nothing. "And he cloned himself?" My eyes widened.

"You mean…" She nodded her head then turned around. "General!" She called out, racing back the other way. "General, what if Commander cloned himself? He's the only person with the technical ability to be able to achieve this sort of scientific discovery, what if he managed to clone himself then replaced a fake one at the fort we stormed?" General Hawk's face paled.

"We just can't seem to get rid of this guy." He groaned. "Alright, put all resources into this new lead. I was cameras running as far as our eye can see. I want face recognition programmes to every feed to match with faces from Cobra, primarily Commander." His voice dropped into his leadership tone as his assistant wrote everything down on a pad. "Alert all countries to the possibility of an inflation attack, leak out photos of Sabrina Anderson and make sure they know to guard their banks and computer systems." The list went on and on until I finally zoned out.

With a gentle sigh I planned on a new tactic to get Sabrina to talk to me. I went to the kitchen then asked to be let in. "Robyn? What are you doing here?" Wallaby asked in surprise. I never came in here unless it was my chore. I hate wash up duty.

"I was wondering if I could bake something?" I asked him politely. "You see, the girls they brought in. They love chocolate cake. I was hoping to go for a different tactic with the second one. Try get her to warm to me." Wallaby smiled then nodded his head.

"Sure, go on right ahead, use whatever you want."

"I'll wash up after." I promised then found a little corner to work in where I was out the way. Right now I was thanking the lord Annie-Marie had taught me how to make amazing chocolate cake when I was little. Neither of my parents could cook very well so my education was handed over to the nice older ladies who looked after me from time to time.

After mixing all the ingredients I placed it in the oven, cleaned up after myself then began to help with dinner. Today was spaghetti bolognaise. Yum! Once my cake was done I left it out to cool but by then it was meal time, so I stuck around to help out further. "Alright get your butts up here! Only the best spag bol in this kitchen. What you waiting for boy? Give me that plate!" I called, making everyone smile and laugh as I hammered on, filling up their plates until I was starving myself.

"Go eat something. Thanks for the help." Wallaby said to me and I grinned, taking off my hairnet.

"No problem. I'll ice the cake after dinner. That okay?"

"Sure. I'll make sure no one eats it." He promised then pushed me outside with my dinner tray in hand. I walked over to the others and sat down next to Duke.

"How's Anna?"

"They got the nanomites out." I chocked on my food, coughing and spluttering until Rip slapped me on the back.

"That's great!" I beamed at him, my eyes watering before hugging him. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's in recovery but she's going to be fine. She's going to join the analysts team here." Duke said to me. "So that we'd be close more often."

"Isn't that romantic?" Rip asked, fluttering his lashes mockingly so both Scarlet and I punched him in the arm. "Ow! Damn that hurt."

"Sorry." I flinched. "Didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"I was just kidding man." This time I meant it. I didn't join in conversation much further, just sat and ate my meal. Once I was done, I returned to the kitchen, frosted the cake then poured a glass of milk before taking it with me to the interview room. Hawk nodded to me before stepping inside the other door. I quietly slipped inside then placed the plate and glass on the table before me.

"Here. You must be hungry." I said gently, pushing them towards Sabrina who eyed them suspiciously. "I made your favourite." She frowned, puzzled before slowly leaning forwards and sniffing curiously. She licked her lips. "Go ahead." She picked up the cake then shoved as much as she could cram into her mouth, practically inhaling it before washing it down with the milk.

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Why wouldn't I be? We were once friends." I replied, remaining relaxed and casual. "I still care about what happens to you, Sabrina."

"Enough to throw me into a lake full of water and nearly drown me?" She had me there.

"You were threatening the lives of civilians. I had to get you off the road. You were never in any danger, I'm good at what I do. That's why I do it." I paused then smiled weakly. "Water based rescues seem to be becoming my specialty." Sabrina looked at me closely but wasn't glaring, which I supposed was a good thing. "I know that you don't do what you do because you're bad, you're a good person inside. I know it." I said to her softly. "I saw it every day for a long time."

"That's not me anymore."

"Then why do you pause at every window and look in longingly at the things you wished you had?" Her mouth fell open then closed again, pursing her lips slightly. She never answered. "I need your help, Sabrina. I need to understand what's going on. You have…no idea. No idea how much it hurt to watch one of you die in my arms, then see you again alive. I need to understand. Who is buried in the woods of my home?" She watched me for a very long time, contemplating her options.

"I'm saying nothing. Only this. That girl you buried, whoever she is, is not the real Sabrina." My heart leaped to my throat with hope.

"Is she still alive?"

"Possibly."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"Then why did that other Sabrina die for me?" Sabrina paused, reflecting before sighing.

"I'm guessing you know we're clones." I chuckled.

"It's a little too obvious to miss." She smiled weakly before leaning forwards.

"Well, when we wake up, we wake with all of the original's memories. We literally believe we are Sabrina. A few of us figured out the truth but some grasped at the dream of really being human. Or at least, as human as we think we are." She lifted her claws to show me. "That's all I can say." Realising that this was all I was going to get today, I nodded my head.

"I'll make sure they don't hurt you. I promise." Taking the plate and glass away I headed to the door.

"Thanks for the cake. I haven't had chocolate in ages." I turned a smile over my shoulder before leaving her behind. Hawk met me and walked at my side as I headed back to the kitchen.

"We need to know more."

"I'm working on it. I'll play two different tactics, see who will crack first." I said to him. "Cuddle up to one, irritate the other. One's bound to work."

"You've done well but we still need more. How were they collapsing the economy? Who are they working for?" I nodded my head.

"I'll get the information. In the meantime, I think it might be best if I don't go on anymore missions if they involve other Sabrinas." I swallowed then lowered my head. "I don't know how much I can take."

"Understood." He rested a warm hand on my shoulder before breaking off and heading to his office. I washed up plate and glass, put them away then carried the cake to the rec room. When I walked in, Rip pounced on me.

"Is that cake?"

"No, it's tofu." I answered sarcastically then let him run off with it to cut up slices.

"How're you holding?" Scarlet asked me gently, smiling as she rubbed my arm comfortingly.

"I'm pulling at the seams but I'll hold." I informed her, rubbing my temple. "This is crazy. I've just learned that the real Sabrina, the _original_, is still alive. Maybe. The cloned Sabrina said she wasn't sure." I dropped my hand and it slapped my side. "I have to find her."

"We will. We'll help you." Jaye said through a mouthful of cake. "This is so good!"

"I want some! Save some for me!" Breaker called then dived forwards for a piece. I blinked in surprise.

"Perhaps I should cook more often?" Roadblock nodded his head as he licked the chocolate icing from the sponge. I smiled, laughing to myself with a shake of my head. "You guys." I looked around, ignoring Jinx who was scowling at me. "Where's Snake?"

"Don't know. Training? Room?" Duke frowned before shoving the last of his cake into his mouth. When he reached for another I slapped his hand away. "Leave some for the ninjas." I reprimanded him then put the wrapped the cake into Clingfilm. Suddenly I felt Jinx prodding me in the side.

"Let's go train."

"Right now?"

"Now." I looked up at the clock.

"But it's nearly bed time." I complained but followed her nonetheless, sulking all the way. Why did she want to train now? Shrugging and holding back a yawn, I followed. As I entered, the yawn came out anyway. "Why are we training now?"

"Because I want to." Jinx said, striding forwards then turned on me, tossing her jacket aside.

"Can't we do this tomorrow?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Are you afraid?" Of her? Ha! Not likely. Scowling I kicked off my shoes then slid from my jumper, folding it neatly then placed my shoes on top of it. When I faced Jinx, I held up my hands in defensive position, knowing that she would attack first.

She was too arrogant, her blows thundered against me as I held them back. The only problem was, I couldn't hit back as hard as I wanted to. It would probably kill her. Although, that wouldn't be such a bad idea…no. No killing aloud. Damn. Just one person? Namely Jinx? No! Killing the good guys is bad, Robyn.

Great. Now I'm talking to myself. Blinking awake I caught Jinx's punch to my face then lifted her up with my foot, swinging her up before throwing her gently onto the floor. "You still wanna train?" She flipped onto her feet then kicked out behind her. I leaped out of the way, ducking and rolling as she scissor kicked at me then quickly jumped up, twisting gracefully before rolling my body back, springing from feet to hands then all over again as Jinx hammered down at me.

"Jinx! Calm down!" I yelled but she ignored me, growling as I leaped over another blow from her. That was when I realised she was fighting as if to kill. "Jinx! Enough!" When she went to crush my windpipe with a blow, I reacted on blind instinct, my vision going black as my body protected itself. My foot lashed out and kicked her directly in the gut, causing her to scream and fly back into the wall. The distance lowered the momentum so nothing broke, but I stared at her in shock, blinking.

She shivered on the floor, gripping her stomach as tears rolled down her cheeks. Something dark shot passed me and I watched Snake Eyes as he crouched down next to Jinx and turned her over. "Is she…" I took a step forwards but Snake turned, angrily shoving out a hand to stop me from approaching. It wasn't my fault though!

When a solid pain hit my head, I hissed and dropped to the floor, clutching my head as it spun. Not this again, I was over this. There's nothing to remember! I remembered everything! Didn't I? As my world spun I felt a gentle hand touch my back. I looked up, barely making Storm Shadow's features before finally, I was able to see again. Only this time, I saw one last memory.

I was back in the warehouse, strapped down as pain rippled through my body from head to toe. I could still see though, I was conscious enough to recognise my surroundings. I looked ahead of me and saw not one, but _two _Cobra Commanders. Perfectly identical. From height, build, clothes and voices, although the voices blurred in and out of recognition.

When I blinked, I was staring at the floor again. "I need to see Hawk." I leaped to my feet but my knees gave out beneath me and I dropped again.

"Be careful." Storm said, grabbing me and holding me up. "Can you walk?"

"Sure!" I said with a shaky laugh, confidently stepping forwards and walking. Why am I walking at myself? Smack! I walked into the mirror. "Okay…maybe not." I murmured, rubbing my head. "What just happened?"

"You nearly killed me! That's what happened!" Jinx yelled, wrapped up by Snake's arms. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"I know I hate you but I don't consider you worth the effort of actually killing you." I snapped at her, placing a hand on my hip. "You were the one about to collapse my windpipe." She didn't answer, merely glared at me. Storm helped me walk towards the door, glancing at me with slight worry. When Jinx called after me, however, I swear I was going to throttle her.

"It's not my fault you're the freaky, uncontrollable experiment." Storm Shadow physically restrained me, dragging me to Hawk's office where I was still shouting when he kicked open the door.

"Let me at her! Let me just kill her! Not even a black eye? Oh come on!"

"What's going on? Have you been fighting again?" Hawk asked, standing up.

"What? Oh no. Well yes but that's not the point." I turned to face him whilst Storm Shadow blocked my escape route. "There are more than one Commanders, I saw them. At the warehouse." Hawk blinked.

"And how come you've only remembered now? I thought you'd restored all your memories." I blushed with embarrassment.

"Sir there's only three things I'm terrified of. The dark, pain and Cobra Commander. I struggled to get my memories back because I was afraid of them. To remember that there was more than one Commander…I guess that was one that wanted to remain forgotten." General Hawk looked at me with surprise. I had never openly admitted my fears, though a few had guessed. I did sleep with my lamp on, after all.

"Alright. I believe you. I'll alert all authority figures involved. Thank you Agent Hood." I nodded my head then turned to leave with the intent on killing Jinx. "One more thing." I looked back at him. "Try not to kill anyone."

Damn!

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**If any of you haven't already guessed, Jinx is not a nice person :(**


	32. Chapter 32

**I think Jinx was lucky Robyn didn't just whip her butt into the next millennium, because she was asking for it. Oh well, at least Robyn can forgive and forget. Mostly...**

**Oh, and some SE/Robyn fluff coming up for you all :)**

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Surprisingly nobody took Jinx's side in the story, seeing as they knew that my blackout reactions only took into effect when my subconscious believed it was under immediate threat. I made everyone drop it though, I wasn't interested in pointing fingers. I dedicated every waking hour to finding Sabrina. Several times teams went out to capture other sightings of other Sabrina and even a few mutant inmates who were again locked up securely. Hawk was really beginning to worry. I worked with the two Sabrinas caught in Switzerland. It seemed they preferred being nice to.

So far I had gotten a rough number of other Sabrinas that had been created, the names of other clones, the reason for the economy collapse and how they did it. They did it the same way I hacked into Cobra's computers. The reason? Pure chaos. Another thing I learned.

Cobra Commander was not dead.

Since learning that there was another, possibly more than one, Commander out there, I had trouble sleeping. Not even the light switched on made it easier, in fact it just got annoying. It was a little too bright so I always had to sleep with my back turned to it.

However since the Jinx incident, Snake hasn't talked to me. I missed his company and our training sessions, though it did allow Storm and I to bond. I never realised before but Storm actually had a great sense of humour. I'm yet to make him laugh though.

On day three of my interviewing the Sabrina twins, I was struggling to sleep. Giving up, I went to the rec room. Scarlet looked up from her laptop and various other instruments of use which I struggled to decipher in my sleepy haze. "Hey." She welcomed warmly. "I thought you'd gone to bed?"

"Can't sleep." I answered.

"Nightmares?"

"The light's too bright." I answered, making her chuckle.

"I would say turn it off but that wouldn't really help you either." Shrugging I finally realised what the stuff was. She was going through security feeds. "I found a few more matches. Hawk's sent some other teams to retrieve them but other than that, we're getting nowhere."

"I'll try again tomorrow. Those girls are sure tougher than the old Sabrina." Sadly I looked away. "I hope she's alright."

"I'm sure she's fine. If Commander wants to keep making clones of her, he'll have to keep her alive to take active DNA from her." This made me perk up a little.

"Is there any way we can track them?"

"We're not dealing with signals anymore, this is a game of chess and so far, Cobra has the upper hand." I blinked.

"Yeah, you're going to have to teach me that game." Scarlet chuckled then paused, frowning before her eyebrows shot up her brow.

"Robyn! You're a genius!" I scoffed.

"Phft, tell me something I don't know." I waved my hand then frowned. "Just remind me again why I'm a genius?"

"Tracking! You could try tracking!"

"Er…I'm not actually a dog. I only have the nose of one." I reminded her. "Besides, I thought Hawk has arranged for a tracking device to be put onto the next Sabrina to get Cobra's location."

"Yes but if you can find a scent, surely you could follow it?"

"I don't know…the last place where there was definitely an original Commander is back at the warehouse. I never want to see that place again." I shuddered at the memories.

"You could follow Sabrina's scent, though, surely you would be able to find hers? I know it will be old but it's a chance. Quite possibly the only other chance we get if the tracking device doesn't pull through. Can you at least think about it?" I nodded my head, eyes closed as my chin rested in my hand. Finally falling asleep my head hit the table. Hard.

I was only half asleep so I was sort of conscious of what was going on around me but the other half of me was surrounded by shadows trying to drag me down under. I whimpered. "Snake? Can you carry her back to her room?" After a moment someone lifted me up from my chair. I twitched, trying to brush off the shadow that had tugged on my hair but my body was restricted of movement.

I began to tremble, shaking in pure blind terror as dark mechanical voices whispered in my ear. When the soft bed touched my bed and the arms disappeared, my eyes flew open and I cried out. "Don't hurt me!" I thrashed out, panicking. "Why is it dark? Where's the light?" The light suddenly flooded me and my eyes opened slightly, seeing a masked face before me. My mouth dropped open and I screamed but the hand clamped down over my mouth cutting it off. When I was quiet Snake took off his helmet then looked down at me with concern.

Panting heavily for breath I just stared up at him. "Snake?" I whispered, my voice cracking. He reached down and cupped my face, gently rubbing my cheek as I calmed down. "I thought you were angry with me for hurting Jinx." I said, slightly confused as to why he was doing this. He smiled-damn, he had a gorgeous smile-then shook his head. "I'm sorry, really I am. I never meant to hurt her that bad but she was hell bent on giving me a bout of pain. I'm so sorry." He shook his head again then pulled me up, holding me to him as I rested my head into his shoulder.

He held me securely for a long ten minutes. A ten minutes that I wanted to stretch further before he began to pull away. I wanted to grip onto him tighter, to cuddle further into him but I let him go, feeling cold now that he was gone. He stood, picked up his helmet then placed it back on his head.

"You going to tuck me in?" I teased and he laughed, pushing my hair behind my ear before turning to leave. "Wait." I bit my lip then sighed, reaching into the drawer to pull out the pearl. "Here. I don't deserve to keep this." I tossed it to him and he caught it with ninja reflexes. "Give it to a girl who does deserve it." Turning around I curled into a ball then retreated into my shell so that when the door shut behind me, the hurt only bounced off again.


	33. Chapter 33

"Get up. You and I are going for a walk." I announced as I walked into Sabrina's interview room. She blinked in surprise, looking at me with a slack jaw.

"Really?" She stood quickly, smiling slightly. "Where are we going?"

"Well I hate this stuffy room so we're going to the beach. You said you used to live by the sea a long time ago, when we first met actually." I said to her, unlocking her from the table then opened the door, offering to let her go first. "Coming?" Slowly she slid around, glancing to her left and right to make sure this wasn't a trick before stepping out of the room.

I took her out of headquarters then down to the beach where a glistening blue sea was waiting. Then I pulled off my jacket and top, standing in just my shorts and a bikini top. "What are you going?"

"Going for a swim. Feel free to join me." Grinning I raced into the waves, stopped then ran back again. "Gah! It's cold!" I shivered, looking down at my soaked shorts then turned to Sabrina. She snorted, clapping her hand to her mouth then burst out laughing.

"Hey, you're coming in too."

"What? No!" She giggled as I lifted her up over my shoulder then ran in with her into the waves. Once a large one hit against me, I dropped her. "No! Robyn it's cold! Cats are allergic to water!"

"You'll get used to it, I have already!" I laughed, splashing her with water. "Come on, I'll race you." I took off and she followed, finding it a little difficult to swim with her paws so she paddled, keeping her chin up. I laughed. "You look funny!"

"You look retarded." She shot back and I laughed even harder, pulling her back within her depth as the current pulled us out a little. "I've missed the sea…" She murmured, smelling the salty air then sighed. "I used to go fishing with…"

"Your grandpa Joel." I finished for her. "Every Friday after school you'd fish with him in his boat then bring back your catch for dinner." Smiling I splashed at her. "Because you were so talented, you fell in."

"Hey! I was tiny, that fish was large enough to eat me whole!" Sabrina retorted, splashing back at me. A full out war broke out, mixed with laughter and rushing waves. Once we were all worn out, I helped Sabrina swim back to shore then we lay on the sand, drying off. We lay in perfect calmness for a long time, bathing in the hot rays before finally, Sabrina sighed.

"He's in hiding." Arching an eyebrow I turned to look at her. "On an island, off the west coast of Mexico. No one's ever intruded because they think the volcano is still active and it's a well-guarded secret." Sabrina muttered tonelessly. "It's where all of his clones are made. He uses the genetic mutation signal to help accelerate the rate of growth. He's planning to take over still, only wiping the slate clean, starting with the economy. By now he'll be working on taking down all computer systems, the power and pretty much screwing everything over."

"How do you know all this?"

"He doesn't keep it a secret." She shrugged simply. "Just promise me something. Find the real Sabrina, get her out and take care of her." She paused before sitting up, smiling down at me. "Take him down. This is his last stand. If you manage to finish him off now then he won't be coming back." Her voice was soft and gentle. "Thank you. For treating me like a human." With that she got to her feet and I sat up with a frown.

"Where are you going?" Quick as a snake, she lifted the stone that had slid into her grip and hit me on the back of the head. Grunting I fell to the floor, my eyes blurring as I felt hot blood trickle down my neck. The blow hadn't been hard enough to knock me out so slowly, I pushed myself up. "Sabrina?" I moaned, blinking as I watched her run into the surf. My eyes shot wide open. "Sabrina!" She dived down into the water.

Struggling to my feet I wavered before staggering into a run, splashing into the surf as my wound healed over. "Sabrina! No! You don't have to do this! Come back!" She paddled fearlessly out of her depth as I struggled to navigate my way, one of the waves bowling me over. When I resurfaced, Sabrina had been dragged under, unable to keep afloat. "No!" I dived forwards, the rush of cold having woken me up.

Swimming relentlessly I headed for Sabrina, who sank down below the water. Diving down, I chased after her. She had been under too long already, I had to get her up. I fumbled slightly, salt stinging my eyes as I struggled to find her before finally, my eyes adjusted and I could see. Kicking forwards, I grabbed Sabrina's arms then pulled her up, dragging her to shore.

The moment we were on the beach I dropped her down and checked her pulse. Nothing. "Sabrina, answer me. Wake up dammit!" I yelled, pressing against her chest to expel the water from her lungs and get her heart pumping again. Her eyes remained wide open and lifeless. I stared at a shell, nothing more. She was gone. "No! No! Come back! Please come back!" I screamed, shaking her to try and waken her.

"Robyn!" Scarlet's arms found me and she held me close, hushing me with soothing tones. "There's nothing you can do. She's gone." Again. Gone again. Because I couldn't save her. I was weak, pathetic! Scarlet rocked me gently as someone took away the body, keeping me as calm as possible until I was able to speak.

"I need to see Hawk." I sniffed, shaking as I placed my hands on my knees, bending over slightly. "She told me where he is." Nodding her head Scarlet helped me to my feet then kept her arm around me as I walked back to the nest, soaking wet. When Hawk looked at me, I only saw pity.

"I'm sorry."

"I'll get over it." I muttered darkly, going over to a map then drew circles around the west coast of Mexico where volcanos were known to exist. "He's on an island with a volcano. That's where his clones are being created. This is his last hideout. If we can take him down then that's it. He's done for." I explained to Hawk. "We'll need to scope it out first as I don't have any more details than that. It's bound to well-guarded, possibly _inside_ the volcano's mouth with boats travelling its perimeter to keep others at bay."

"Good work. Get some rest. I'm going to send a spy plane in before action." He picked up the phone on his desk, pressed a few numbers then began to talk. "Wires, scramble the jets…all of them…yes, we're on a full out offensive. Of course I want some to stay behind! Do you think I want someone taking over whilst we're gone?" Hawk slammed his phone down then sighed. "Honestly, some people." He looked at me. "You still here? Get some rest. You'll need it." I saluted then left without another word, returning to my room.

I had a shower then lay on my bed, going into my drawer to find the pearl only to then remember it was not there. Sighing sadly I clenched my eyes shut. I slept for a while, not sure how long, before getting up. Deciding that I needed to punch the crap out of a bag, I headed for the gym. The dojo would be quieter so I headed that way, pulling my hair up into a ponytail as I walked.

"…haven't cracked yet. One of them committed suicide, the other has been dealt with." I stopped when I heard a voice from inside, frowning before slowly inching forwards. "She kept her mouth shut, she just wanted to escape from being locked up so she threw herself into the ocean. Stupid girl. Yes I am aware we're on a schedule, I'm not the one who's running behind time." It was Jinx. Who was she talking to? More importantly, what was she talking about? "Yes. Yes understood. It will be done. I won't fail you Commander." The dreaded name sent shivers down my spine.

I was about to step back and retreat when the door flew open and Jinx stood there, eyes widening when she saw me. Then she smirked. It was twisted, evil. I loathed her even more. Inhaling deeply I analysed her scent. When my eyes flew open, she laughed. "Finally catch on did you?" I tackled her around the middle.

We flew back into the dojo, both of us growling at each other as she wriggled free then landed a side kick to my face. Spitting out the blood as I bit through my tongue, it dribbled down my clean top. She twisted and swept a leg under me but I jumped, turning mid leap to give he a round house kick to the cheek then ducked, giving her a solid uppercut.

"You were always too cocky." I snarled at her. Then she pulled out a gun. Without even blinking I gripped the barrel then pointed it down, twisting it from her grip with a snap of her wrist, making her scream in pain. Without even stopping as she fell to the ground, I shot her twice in the chest. Satisfied she was dead, I turned around to face Scarlet. "She was a clone. We need to move _now_." I commanded, wiping my nose from the blood she had managed to draw.

"You just shot Jinx."

"It wasn't Jinx, it was a clone of her! Scarlet, pay attention. If Jinx was a clone then it means that Cobra has her as well as Sabrina. They're onto us. We need to take them down now. Like, right now!" Nodding her head we ran. Scarlet slammed an alarm, calling for an emergency scramble.

"Scarlet! What's going on?" Rip yelled as he and Duke ran towards us. "Why are you covered in blood?"

"Suit up, we're moving out." Scarlet yelled at them, running passed. Storm Shadow stopped when he saw me, frowning at the blood.

"Yeah. Sorry. I just shot your cousin." I said to him darkly, tossing him the gun. "But she was a clone. Now if you'd hurry up that ninja ass of yours, we're going to go save your real cousin and the entire world whilst we're at it. Maybe we'll stop for coffee on the way?" Storm just stared at me as I strode passed.

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**Whoa wait, what did I miss? Did I just see another plot twist happen? Whoops, I seem to do a lot of those :) Thanks for reading!**


	34. Chapter 34

I gripped onto the leash that helped me balance on the Black Hawk as it carried us to the island where spy planes had found evidence of a secret base and guards posted around. Sure enough, heavy fire soon fell on us. "Lower this bird down!" I yelled. "Draw their fire to starboard!" The chopper instantly lowered down and moved to the right, drawing the gunfire quickly until the bullets hit another gun tower, making it explode. "That's my favourite move." I smirked with satisfaction. "Alright, get ready to drop. The entrance is under heavy guard so we're dropping in from above. Have snipers ready, we're taking them out on the flying angel manoeuvre!" Thankfully these guys understood what I was talking about.

It felt weird being in charge of a troupe, but awesome at the same time. "Ready! Three! Two! One! Drop!" I turned and leaped down, angling myself downwards then clicked the top panel of my guns. As my part group descended on wires beside me they fired at the human targets whilst I blasted the doors open. "Nice one team. Reel us in. Pilot, drop us at check point five." The pilot veered off to put us down whilst our lines were pulled in, lifting us from just dangling in the air on ropes.

Thankfully no one was hurt, just a little shaky with the adrenaline. "Alright, get your game faces on. We're about to tango with the tangos." Nodding their heads with determined looks, I turned and prepared to lead the way. This was the point I hated, the run. Where it was possible that I would never see some of these faces again. I ran a hand on the back of my neck, making sure my identification tags were still there before swallowing. The moment the chopper was low enough, I jumped down.

"Alright, we're gonna go in from this side. Keep your guns up at all times. If someone shoots at you, no matter who they are, you shoot them down! Basic rules of battle survival!" A few of them grinned. "Alright, on my tail, the lot of you. I don't want to leave anyone behind today!"

Turning around I held out a hand before throwing it forwards, signalling for go. Quick volleys of fire took out most of the fore guards but they were just as quickly replaced. Heavy's troupe laid down the cover for us to run for the opening I had blasted open, Roadblock and his squad already through.

Scarlet caught my eye, she was helping a limping soldier towards a medical chopper. I saw a gun shift towards her, hidden up in the rocks. Without breaking pace I shot a single bullet, watching it to make sure it hit the target. The guy fell and Scarlet got to safety.

The moment I was in, I led my group to the right, knowing that Roadblock had gone left. "Eyes open. We're taking over this place." I called then stalked forwards, both guns up and ready to shoot. "Check all rooms. We're looking for test subjects, our aim is to get them out of here alive." I reminded them. I kicked open a door, looking inside before moving on when I found nothing worth investigating. Everyone else did the same, kicking open a door. When one wouldn't budge, I clicked the second panel on my gun then shot at it.

It exploded with gas and it froze over, cracking at the sudden temperature. I kicked the blocks of ice over then stepped inside. My eye glanced around the room, finding it to be full of very familiar equipment and a doctor's table. It was, however, empty. "Keep moving." I decided, pulling out.

When we got to the second level, we were sprung upon. A group of Cobra ninjas sprung out and slashed their katanas, descending upon us. I leaned back, watching the blade tip as it nearly cut into my eye before kicking the idiot back, slamming him into the others. My group shot around me as I held them back. If any ninja pushed passed me, I grabbed them by the leg and swung them back. "Alright, that was messy." I scowled then jerked my head.

Around the next corner, I ran into Roadblock, who was on his own. "Block! Where's your troupe?" I demanded of him.

"They got taken down, they're coming up from behind." Turning I called out to my team.

"Everyone back that way!" When I heard a gun click, I turned in confusion. Roadblock lifted his gun and shot. Someone slammed me out the way, taking the hit and falling for me as the continued spray of bullets took down more of my team. "No!" Spinning around my foot knocked Roadblock's gun aside, lifting my own to shoot him in the head. I inhaled his scent, feeling the static at the back of my jaw. Clone.

How was he a clone? Now slightly terrified, I looked to my team. Only five left. Looking down, I was unsure what to do. "Get them out of here." I ordered. Five to carry five. I felt terrible. I had failed them. "I'll cover your escape." I gulped, lifting up the man who had saved my life then carefully carried him away. We returned to the only way in or out. On the way we met another group of enemy Cobras. My guns had shot all six of them in under two seconds.

Once we were at the door, I passed my saviour into the care of another then looked at them. "Wait for my signal." I ordered then rushed out. I turned, shooting up into the small alcoves where the tips of snipers and machine guns powered down upon us, keeping others back. "Go!" I yelled. Aiming with deadly precision, one bullet shot through the barrel of a sniper, making the entire gun explode. Sweet.

Heavy appeared again and fired missiles at the alcoves, blowing them up completely just seconds after my team had escaped to safety. As rocks began to tumble down, I shot back into the fort. The way was now blocked behind me, it would take at least twenty minutes before the boys could shift them all away. Sucking in a deep breath I journeyed deeper into the place I knew I would later call my living hell.

I decided to follow Block's path, relying on my nose and hearing to sniff out enemy targets. I descended deeper into the volcano, lifting my head when I smelled familiar scents. Too many familiar scents. When I rounded a corner, I stopped and stared.

Two Storm Shadows were battling it out, twin katanas blazing. My guns clicked. "Don't shoot!" They both held out a hand and spoke in exactly the same tone. Blinking I looked to the one on the left before shooting him through the head. "This is getting nasty." I muttered then stalked forwards. Storm held a blade to my throat.

"How do I know you're the real Robyn?" I arched an eyebrow at him.

"Easy. You're jerk with a shiny stick and I didn't shoot you. Any questions?" Storm blinked then nodded, satisfied. Together we headed down, the many scents baffling me. "He's got clones of _all_ of us." I whispered quietly. "How is this possible? Where did he get the DNA from?"

"Maybe he used Jinx to get the DNA." He suggested quietly. "Clone Jinx."

"Possible." I shrugged in agreement. "Well, let's hope he doesn't have more than one of me. Otherwise we're all screwed."

"You're the only one who can smell out the clones." He nodded his head. "Wait." I stopped and he slid both his katana away before grabbing my hair, drawing a knife.

"What are you…?" He slid the blade through my hair, cutting it short. I blinked in shock, staring as he discarded my hair to the floor. "Hey!"

"Now we know which one you are." He had a fair point.

"I'm so going to shove that shiny stick up your ass one day." I growled at him then continued forwards. When I found the scent I was looking for, I faced a heavy door with a large wheel and pad. There was no amount of C4 that could blow this baby open. Shifting closer I sniffed, closing my eyes. The pad illuminated in my mind, four numbers shining with the scent of someone's sweat. One was brighter than the other, so I guessed that number was tapped twice.

Taking in a deeper breath, I separated them into ages. Which one was touched first, then the next and so on. Opening my eyes I tapped in the password. It flashed green and clicked. "I love being me." I sighed then stepped through. When I saw her, I nearly screamed.

Sabrina lay on a stiff metal bed, tightly strapped down just a few feet away from me. She was breathing and unhurt. She also had no tail or claws. "What…? You know what. Never mind. I'm not even going to ask." I muttered then ran over to her. I cut the straps from her then unhooked her from the wires as Storm did the same for Jinx.

"Storm…where am I?" Jinx murmured, groaning softly.

"You're safe. I'm taking you home." Storm murmured to her gently then lifted her up.

"Sabrina? Sabrina can you hear me?" Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked, frowning before gasping.

"Robyn! You're alive!" Tears swarmed her as she grabbed onto me and held on for dear life. "I was so afraid…I saw them inject you, you were screaming and screaming and I was so afraid you were going to die!" I shivered with tears as I held her to me, thanking god that he had not taken her from me.

"I'm getting you out of here."

"What's the point?" She muttered. "We've only got the streets. Wait, why do you have guns?"

"I…joined the army." I said then lifted her into my arms, carrying her out. "Hold on." I murmured and she clung on tighter to my neck. Once Storm and Jinx were out, I turned. The equipment was all her. The tanks, the growing clones, the data, the DNA samples. All of it. I clicked the first panel of my gun and aimed. With a blank face I shot several times, hitting everything that looked fragile before rushing to the door and slamming it shut behind me, hearing the burst of flames slam it from the other side. "Well Sabrina, we no longer have to worry about being homeless. I have a ranch, the one where I grew up." I whispered to her as we raced up the stairs. "You and I are going to live there."

"Really?" She breathed with tears staining her cheeks. "Can we keep chickens?"

"An entire flock." I promised. Then my nose touched a gun barrel. Sabrina shrieked but I kept a hold of her, remaining perfectly still as the Vipers separated and one jerked his head. Slowly I walked forwards, Storm doing the same. So this was it. Back to square one.

You know, for all the planning and the strategic compromises, these missions always seemed to turn really messy and not the way we had planned them at all.

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**I totally get them feels bro, no matter how carefully you plan stuff, it always seem to go to pot :( Anyway, go forth and review my minions! (Please?) XD**


	35. Chapter 35

**So Sabrina isn't dead, yay! But they have been captured. No!**

**What's gonna happen? Oh I don't know, haven't got a clue. I am only the writer after all, it's not like I plan this stuff :)**

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Sabrina walked by my side shakily and with terrified, sharp intakes of breaths so I kept a tight grip on her hand, my narrowed eyes glancing around as we were led through the maze of the fort. I felt it getting hotter, which meant that we were descending deeper into the volcano. Which was active. Brilliant.

"Welcome back, my little Robyn." I almost vomited and screamed at the same time. There he stood, looking at me with that mask which haunted my nightmares. "I was rather insulted you pushed me off a cliff."

"You had shot Sabrina." I retorted blankly then glanced to the woman beside me who frowned in confusion. "A clone of Sabrina." I corrected in the same tone.

"Yes. I apologise." He replied sardonically, looking over to Storm Shadow. "Storm Shadow, you had such potential in my ranks. Yet you threw it all away, for what? A poorly equipped team with little skill and no intelligence between them?"

"Yes." Storm answered bluntly. Go Storm! The Commander laughed then looked back to me.

"I'm tired of old wounds giving me pain. I will have to dispose of you, I'm afraid."

"And I'm tired of you just simply _not dying_." I growled back. "I'm going to have to dispose of you, too."

"Such a shame to waste such talent." Cobra Commander sighed dramatically before walking towards a different door, waiting as it slid open before giving his final command. "Kill them." The Vipers all turned their guns on us but Storm, Jinx and I reacted. I threw Sabrina out of the way to the ground then leaped up, spinning in the air as a concentrated beam aimed and fired at me. It tore through the wall, cracking the hot stone as I danced out of the way then swept out his leg, punching and kicking to get some space to move as the other Vipers all tried to shoot us down.

Storm Shadow had retrieved his swords and had tossed one to Jinx, who moved easily around the Vipers to take them down. Using a fallen Viper as leverage I leaped up, twisting my legs around a laser gun then tore it from his grasp, turning to snag my guns from him then shot him through his eyehole as my bullets wouldn't penetrate the metal anywhere else.

Glancing to the door I saw it was slowly beginning to roll shut. Sliding both guns into their holsters I grabbed my belt then raced forwards, clicking it into place. There was barely a foot of space left for me to squeeze through but I managed, leaping through then rolling just as the door clicked and locked down behind me. I was now alone.

Inhaling deeply I began to follow Commander's scent. I kept one gun in my hand, the other tapping on my earpiece to try and get it working. I rounded several corners but ascended a flight of stairs, meaning Commander was trying to escape. Not on my watch. I rounded the corner then stopped, staring at Scarlet.

"Scarlet?" She gave a twisted smirk before lifting a gun and fired at me. Catching her scent, I knew she was a clone. I had to leap out the way, anticipating her shot then rolled towards her, kicking her legs out then moved, ripping the gun out of reach then pointed the barrel to her head.

"You can't kill me." She hissed, grabbing my wrists then rolled me over, straddling my hips as she pinned both hands to the ground.

"I beg to differ." I growled, kicking back with my knee to jerk her forwards and over my head, twisting around to get up. We both leaped at each other, grabbing each other's heads to spin around, my strength overpowering hers so that I could fling her into the wall. Before I could shoot she had kicked upwards, hitting me in the gut then dragged a knife from her boot, rolling to her feet then slashed at me.

The cool metal burned my cheek as it cut open, blood pooling forth in the seconds it took to heal over. I grabbed her arm as it came at me again, squeezing until her eyes widened with pain and she crumbled slightly under me. I spun her around and with a quick jerk, snapped her neck.

When I heard the sickening crack, I felt my stomach twist, shuddering as I watched Scarlet fall. It was her exact image, as if I had killed the original. I was going to have nightmares about this. Pushing these thoughts aside I moved on, running after Commander to try and keep up.

When I faced a metal door, burning hot from the lava boiling below, I reached forwards for the panel to flip it up and guess the password. Before I had even touched the panel, the door slid open. Cautiously I stepped forwards, keeping my eyes and gun up as I inhaled. Too many scents, it confused me for a second.

That moment was enough to take me by surprise. Something dropped from the ceiling and kick my gun out of my hand, the shot going wild. Spinning I grabbed the arm that held the katana, kicking the ninja in the gut before flipping him over, twisting his hand so that his sword fell out of his grip.

The lights switched on. "Snake?" I breathed, blinking in shock before sniffing carefully. No. Not Snake Eyes, a clone. Taking a breath I drew my other gun and held it to his head, my knees pinning down his wrists as I sat on top of him. I hesitated.

He was tense beneath me, his chest rising and falling in deep, heavy breaths as I prepared myself for this. I sat there for ten seconds, fifteen, twenty…I couldn't do it. I couldn't shoot Snake Eyes, not even a clone of him. I cared about him too much.

Someone grabbed me from behind and ripped me back, a hand gripping my hair. Upon instinct I felt the shift of a blade beside me and moved, jerking my hips forwards to avoid the strike before twisting, lifting Storm Shadow's clone up over my head then dropped him on Snake who had tried to leap up.

Jinx ran at me, sword flashing to descend upon my neck to separate my head. I don't think so sister. I lowered my body, flinging out a leg in a wide arc then round house kicked her in the face, drawing my other gun from my holster before shooting her down. My free hand and feet protecting the blows from Snake and Storm before an opening revealed itself and I shot Storm, turning to finish the job.

Snake Eyes slashed his sword with blinding speed, knocking my gun aside then kicked the back of my knees, causing me to kneel before him as he then lifted his blade, preparing to strike. He paused. Frowning at him I tilted my head. Had I made a mistake? No, I could taste the static at the back of my jaw. It was definitely a clone. So why hadn't he killed me yet?

I never got the chance to ask as a black shadow tackled the clone then sliced its katana, attacking the clone with an unbridled fury. Two Snake Eyes, one clone and one real. How did he get here? Looking up I realised there was a ventilation shaft in the ceiling just a few feet away, the grate missing from the gaping hole.

Getting to my feet I ran to where Commander's scent led, finding another door which refused to budge open. Growling, I dug into my belt and drew out the laser beam, clicking down the button then directed it to the hinges, carefully drawing a line to cut through the metal which was at least ten inches of solid metal.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing the two ninjas battling it out. The one who seemed to have the upper hand as the clone and I bit my lip in fear, wondering if I should intervene. My assistance was not required, however, as Snake allowed the ninja to fall down at him from a leap, turning to stab the sword through the suit. I flinched and looked away.

Unable to look back I waited until I had cut through the door, hearing it groan before it dropped then fell forwards. A gentle hand touched my shoulder and Snake presented me with my weapons. "Thanks." I nodded to him, leaning forwards to take in his scent, double checking that it was him. "We have to hurry." Leading the way forwards, we raced along the narrow tunnel before all at once, we ran into the light.

It was blinding for a moment and I pulled back, hissing before looking around. It wasn't sunlight, only an incredibly bright spotlight which was focused on us. "You're quite determined to finish me, aren't you?" His voice made me swallow nervously as my vision slowly adjusted. "You wish to kill me, yet you can't even locate the original me." I heard multiple steps slowly moving forwards, encircling us. "Don't you understand?" More voices of the same tone and sound joined in before they all spoke at once. "We are _everywhere_."

We were surrounded by a ring of Commanders, each one standing exactly the same way, hands clasped behind their backs. "You can't possibly kill all of us, not before we kill you." They lifted their guns and aimed to fire.

"Wait!" I yelled holding up my hands. "Quick question?" They all paused. "Which one _is _the original?"

"I am." They all answered then glanced to one another. I frowned, pretending to be thoroughly confused.

"You can't all be the original, which one is the one in charge?" They all repeated their earlier statement before falling into silence.

"Don't be fools, I'm the original Cobra Commander. You are simply copies of myself, for my own disposal and uses." One growled, glaring behind the mask as the others tensed then changed their gun aims. At each other.

"You are the clone! I am Cobra Commander!" They all began to argue and as they did so, I inhaled deeply, separating their scents. One by one I struck them off, all of them being clones, except one. The real Commander had already shot one clone down, sparking off the war. Bullets rang loud in my ear as Snake grabbed me and dropped to the floor, shielding me with his body. The fury rolled around me in waves, making it difficult to breathe from the intensity. It filled my mouth, my nose until I had to inhale deeply, settling for Snake's scent.

Slowly shifting I looked around, keeping an eye on the original Commander. He was slipping away! "Snake! We need to move!" I whispered. "The original's making a run for it!" Together we crawled, the other Commanders too occupied with shooting each other to notice us. When we reached the stairs, we bolted.

It was not hard to catch up with Commander, he was bleeding having been shot. He limped, reaching the surface before climbing into what looked to be an escape pod. "No!" I bellowed, racing forwards as he opened the door to get in. Commander looked up and silent watched me streak ahead of Snake Eyes, reaching for a gun.

The Commander lifted his arm and pulled the trigger of his gun. I didn't move out of the way, if I had then the bullet would have hit Snake. I welcomed it into my body, crying out and tripping, feeling heat flush in my shoulder but it wasn't a bullet, it was a dart.

It latched onto my suit and I felt a powerful bolt of electricity ride through my body, cutting off all consciousness as the bold flash struck me like a lightning bolt, letting me see only the intense bloom of white before I felt my heart give out under the power.

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**Gasp! Plot twist, AGAIN! You guys must really hate me by now :)**


	36. Chapter 36

When a powerful jolt jerked me awake, I cried out then instinctively lashed out with a leg and arm, rolling the person standing over me onto their back then drew a gun, pointing it to their head. I stopped, my snarl fading. Snake lay beneath me, lifting up his hands in surrender. He was wearing my gloves. Breathing deeply I swallowed, replacing my gun in the holster.

Then I heard the crash. Snake spun me over, tucking my small frame into him as pits of burning debris crashed into the crust of the volcano, landing several meters away. When the last bit of Commander's escape pod had missed us, Snake pulled back then offered back my other gun. Staring at it I realised he had taken down Cobra Commander, once and for all.

Pushing past the gun I threw my arms around Snake's neck, gripping him as tightly as I dared. "Thank you." I whispered to him. "I guess we're even now." His arms wound tighter around me. I felt him slide the last gun into my holster then shifted me around to pull me closer to him. "I won't be able to sleep for years now, you do realise that right?" I said to him dully. "I killed a clone of Scarlet, Roadblock, Storm Shadow and Jinx. I could smell other clones from the rest of our team too, they were in incubators down in the basement." Snake rubbed a large circle into my back then pulled back when we both heard a Black Hawk flying towards us.

"If you two are finished, we'd like to get out of here!" Heavy's voice yelled impatiently. "The place is about to blow!" Crap! Lots of lava, not good! A harness was lowered down and Snake slipped it on before holding his hand out to me. I gripped it tightly and he pulled me close to him, sliding my hand around his neck then held onto my waist.

We were lifted off the ground and the chopper began to fly off. When we got to the open doorway of the Hawk, our team greeted us. I was so relieved to see the real Scarlet alive and unharmed I threw my arms around her and refused point blank to let go for at least ten minutes.

No one was hurt, even Block had got out. When Storm Shadow stepped aside to reveal a sleeping Sabrina, I dropped to my knees and touched her face, tears rising to my eyes as I looked down at her. She was alright. Brushing the tears aside I pulled the blanket closer around her then lifted her head to settle it on my lap, stroking her hair as everyone watched me with happy smiles.

When we landed at base I carried Sabrina in myself, refusing to let her go. I took her to medical where she woke up with me holding her hand. "Robyn!" She gasped then leaped at me, tackling me with a hug which I gladly returned. "You're alright! What happened to you? How did you learn to fight like that?" She pressed, babbling quickly as she did when she was confused. "I don't understand, what was that place and how did I get there?"

"Calm down Sabrina. You're alright, you're safe now." I promised her, making her lay back down on the bed. "Now I can't tell you everything, I'm not allowed but I'm going to tell you everything I can. Okay?" She nodded her head. Taking in a deep breath, I started from the beginning.

Her eyes widened further and further with each passing word.

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**Don't worry, there will be more chapters coming soon. Right now in fact! I'll post another pretty much straight away just for you guys, seeing as this one is so short :)**


	37. Chapter 37

**As promised ;)**

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It took Sabrina a week to recover but even then she was a little weak on her legs. She would need looking after, so I requested that I be allowed to take care of her here at headquarters. I was granted this guardianship but all responsibility rested with me. Certain areas were barred from Sabrina's eyes but she was just happy to rest, eat and get to know my team. She was never much of an adventurer.

It turned out that Sabrina had never been genetically mutated. She was an entirely different experiment altogether. The first successful clone that had been made from her had then been mutated into part cat, the original cat Sabrina. She had been the one to save my life. When I get home, I'm changing the name on her grave to Grace as a thank you, and to give her a new identity, one she could call her own.

Jinx was up on her feet after just a few hours rest and training with Snake Eyes. I wasn't sure if I liked her yet though she was very nice to me, friendly even. It was a little too big of a jump. I had explained to her that the clone Jinx had hated my guts and tried to kill me, so she understood why it was going to take some time for me to adjust to this new personality.

Sabrina gave me the final kick to mend things that were never actually broken between me and Jinx. Told me to suck in my pride and make friends. Turns out, Jinx has never been to New York, so it had been her clone that had spat on me. All was forgiven.

Apart from one tiny little detail. She still liked Snake Eyes. _Too much_. After sitting up for an entire night, puzzling over how I felt about Snake Eyes, I decided that I liked him too much as well. In fact, I was pretty sure I had fallen in love with him. It was strange waters and definitely untested, but I couldn't mistake the deep way I felt about him as a simple crush.

But he spent most of his time with Jinx, training with her, keeping her company and she still fawned over him like a love struck puppy. I had walked into the rec room once and found then snuggled up on the sofa. That's when I realised they were together.

That's when I knew that I might as well give up. Inwardly I wanted to cry, outwardly, I became cold of feeling to make sure no one noticed the hurt inside. I covered it up by being purposefully happy, wrestling with Block, Duke and Rip, learning how to play chess from Sabrina and Scarlet and going to shooting practice with Jaye, making sure I used every second of my time to distract myself from Snake.

One other thing, who the hell invented chess? I seriously sucked at this game. No matter how many times I tried, I always ended up losing. Even Sabrina beats me! Though she did say she had been playing since she was a little girl, so I'll argue she has more experience than me.

"You'll get it eventually, just remember Bishop can only go diagonally." Sabrina said as Scarlet fell about laughing at another epic fail. Hey, it's not my fault I forgot the King was the piece I was supposed to protect. I did the decent thing! Moving him to protect his Queen, that's chivalry right there. I deserved to win just for that. "And that the King is meant to survive."

"Stupid man." I picked him up and glared at him. "Seriously, where would you be without us women and your queen? Dead." I carefully placed him back then rubbed my temples. "You know what, I think I'll leave this game to you two." I sighed with a smile. "I suck."

"Yes. Yes you do." Scarlet replied unhelpfully. "But you suck with style." I laughed quietly, eyes closing against my hand as I blushed.

"Alright! Alright I get it, I'm a douche." Standing up I stretched, clicking my back. "But I always hammer you in an arm wrestle."

"Which is why I never challenge you." Scarlet answered smartly, restarting the game to play with Sabrina.

"Is that another of your gifts? Super strength?" Bless her, she called them gifts, not genetic mutations or enhancements. Moments like this remind me how much I missed her.

"Want to see?" I knelt down then offered her my pinkie, resting my elbow on the table. She gripped it tightly then tried to move my arm down. I didn't budge. Grunting, Sabrina gripped with both hands, tugging and pulling before finally giving up.

"That's actually quite cool!"

"That's nothing! Watch this!" I leaped up gleefully, glad that I could show off for someone. I leaped over the sofa, bent down then picked it up, with Heavy and Breaker still sitting on it.

"Hey! Whoa there!" Heavy yelped, grabbing on as Breaker cried out in alarm.

"Put us down! Put us down!" Sabrina gasped, staring in awe as I set the sofa down then joined them again. Scarlet rolled her eyes as I grinned cheerfully.

"She's only showing off because you're here." Scarlet explained to Sabrina. "So don't be too impressed otherwise it will go to her head."

"Me? Egotistic? Honestly Scarlet, I thought you knew me better." I fluttered my lashes then winked at Sabrina who giggled. "I'm going to see if they want some help in the kitchen." I said to them. "See you later."

"Wait, you _want_ to work? Are you feeling okay?" Scarlet asked me with slight concern and confusion, peering at me through narrowed eyes.

"Sure." I paused. "Actually, I just want to make cookies. I'll bake some and bring them back!" Waving a hand I headed for the kitchen. I was allowed to make cookies, on the condition I made enough to share with Wallaby. It was a deal. I made milk chocolate chip, white chocolate chip and double chocolate. If you hadn't guessed, I loved chocolate cookies. I also made a chocolate cake in a small pie dish for Sabrina as a surprise, smothering it in fudgy sauce as I went.

"You know, you're going to use all of my supplies if you keep on coming back." Wallaby teased me as I left the cookies to cool a little.

"It helps me relax." I answered simply with a shrug. "Can I help with lunch?"

"Sure, if you really want to. I've only got lazy old sacks of wine in here today." Wallaby glared at two girls, who were nattering away in the corner. "Get those potatoes peeled before I clip your nails!" They hurried to continue. It made me laugh sometimes. The younger girls who were introduced still cared so much about their looks and hair, whereas us older women just didn't give a damn.

As I prepared meat for cooking, Wallaby came to my side, eating one of my cookies. "So what's on your mind?" He asked me, pulling out some trays to put the chicken wings into.

"Nothing." I answered simply with a seemingly carefree shrug.

"Sheila, I've lived twice as long as you have. I know when something's up." He gave me a little look which meant he wasn't going to let off until I had explained everything.

"Well…there's this…guy."

"Ahah! I knew it!" He gloated victoriously then returned to chopping vegetables, nodding his head for me to continue.

"And I kinda like him a lot. Well actually, I'm pretty sure I've fallen for him." Just thinking about him set off butterflies in my gut. "But he's with another woman. At least, I'm pretty sure they're together, they haven't actually told anyone." Shoving the tray of chicken into the oven I washed my hands again before helping him dice carrots with alarming speed.

"Seems like you need to come clean with him."

"But he's happy."

"But you're not." Point taken, but I would never forgive myself if I interrupted a perfectly good relationship. Besides, it would only complicate things to the extreme. Snake's the kind of guy who feels responsible for those unable to defend themselves and is fiercely protective over women, especially us. If I told him that I was in pain, he'd only feel guilty.

"It wouldn't work anyway. There's more important things to be thinking about that relationships." I reasoned lightly then inclined my head behind me. "Like your lamb in the oven."

"Crikey!" His Australian accent piercing the roof with its shrillness as he ran for his lamb. I giggled, continuing with cutting my vegetables before throwing them into a steam cooker. My love status left Wallaby's mind as it got closer to serving time so I was saved from having to explain further, or worse, reveal who it was.

I helped serve, cleaning up after me before skipping the meal and taking the small cake and cookies back to the rec room. I left them on the side, going over to a running machine to jog a few miles. "I assume you're not hungry." Storm Shadow's voice said from behind me.

"If you're trying to sneak up on me, Storm, try and remember that I have excellent senses. Try again when I'm asleep." I called back to him, not breaking stride. He chuckled quietly then moved around to the kitchen to grab a drink. He paused, looking at the stack of cookies before selecting one. Now I stopped.

He bit into it carefully, chewing slowly before finishing it off. "Aw, you like my cooking!" I smiled at him, arching an eyebrow as he turned around slightly too quickly, as if annoyed he'd been caught.

"It was adequate." He told me but I saw him glance back to the pile.

"There's enough for you to have another one." Storm opened his mouth to refuse but stopped, glancing back before snatching another one, a larger one, off the pile. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Never thought a ninja would one day be eating my cookies." I said as I started running again.

"Perhaps you are better than I first anticipated." He shrugged simply, savouring the double chocolate cookie with slow chews.

"And I think you secretly have a sweet tooth." I retorted, still grinning as I ran. "Shall I get you some ice cream to go with that?"

"No." He did think about it though. I was right! Storm Shadow, the notorious, apparently cold blooded, iron hearted ninja had a sweet tooth. Blessed be the day. "Why aren't you eating?" He changed the subject, flicking through a book before tossing it over his head.

"Not hungry. I've been picking in the kitchen for most of the morning." I explained simply. "What about you?"

"I do not require three meals a day like the rest of you."

"Oh that's funny, I technically don't need to eat as much as I do either, because for some stupid reason, my body can survive without nourishment for more than three days." I rolled my eyes. "A stupid enhancement, I like food."

"Then why aren't you eating now?"

"Because…I just told you." I frowned at him, keeping up the pace.

"Because you didn't eat yesterday either." He'd noticed? Damn, I had to get better at lying. Trying to take his mind off of my eating habits, I questioned him.

"Have you been stalking me?"

"If I had been, you would have known, due to your apparent skill of detection." He had a point. If someone was following me, I would know. Hell, I can hear Ripcord burping when he's in the games room. Which is on a different floor! It really helps that I can tune in out of my senses, like I can turn a dial and their sensitivity comes down. Deciding not to answer I continued to run. "Snake Eyes worries about you. He tells me you haven't been sleeping." Now I stopped running, looking down at my feet as I hunched into myself slightly, finding my shell. Without saying a word I picked up my towel and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of chilled water. "And since you're not eating, it stands to reason that something is wrong."

"Nothing is wrong." I replied through grit teeth, unscrewing the cap then threw the water to the back of my throat.

"Robyn." I looked around to Storm Shadow, who had got up and was now approaching me. When he stood directly before me, he placed a hand on my shoulder. "We can understand what you have gone through. It's hard, feeling like you killed your own friends." Looking away again I tried to move away but Storm blocked me. "You need to talk to someone."

"I'm fine. I can handle it. I've been through enough to know how deal with my own problems." Which was no word of a lie. I'd seen Sabrina die twice and managed to get through it. This was just another wall I needed to smash through.

"Listen to me, Robyn." I sighed but nodded, signalling I was paying attention. "You're not the only one who has nightmares. Snake Eyes met a clone of you at that fort." My head snapped up in surprise, staring in shock at Storm Shadow. "At first he believed it was you, so he didn't attack. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but it has affected him in a way I've never seen anything affect him before." Storm stood up, a protective gleam in his eye. "I want you to talk to him."

"He doesn't need me. He's got you and Jinx…" I trailed off, swallowing before narrowing my eyes. "Did he kill her?" Storm paused before nodding.

"He did." Good. I don't want another version of me running around.

"If he wants to talk, he knows I'm around." I made to walk away but Storm gripped my arm sharply and quickly. My vision blackened and I felt the sensation of pulling Storm around before me, wrapping an arm around his neck then placed my hands either side of his head and on a shoulder, preparing to snap his neck. Then my vision returned.

"Damn it Storm! You know not to do that!" I practically screamed at him, shoving him away. "I could have killed you too!"

"Calm down, it was just instinctive. I'm sorry I startled you." Storm Shadow said calmly, trying to soothe me but I backed away as he tried to approach.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled, scrambling to race around him. "I hate this! I hate being a freak!"

"You're not a freak, you're just still not used to controlling your accelerated reflexes." Storm answered, trying to catch me but I jumped out of reach then headed for the door. He managed to catch my arm but I yanked it back.

"Don't! Just don't touch me, please." Turning I walked towards the door, pulling it open. "I don't want to hurt you by accident." Leaving him behind I escaped to the only place I felt at peace. The beach. I took off my shoes and socks, rolled up my trousers then walked in the surf, letting the water wash against my feet as I looked out to the open water, the waves non-existent, leaving only a glimmering blanket of sapphire and emerald clearness, showing the white sandy bottom underneath the fine threads of silk.

Inhaling deeply I heard the sound of distant clicks. I looked out to the further ocean and smiled, seeing a pod of dolphins leap out of the water, playing in the warm sun before swimming away together. Heart lifted by the little display, I continued my walk around the island.

By the time the sun had begun to set and the water was cast into a pallet of different hues, I had walked around the entire beach four or five times. It was getting late and I needed to get back inside.

I dusted my feet from the sand, sitting on a rock before sliding both shoes and socks back on. Returning to the gate I nodded to the guards who let me swipe my card and enter, leaving the glistening sea behind me.

Lifting a hand I ran it through my fingers. It now touched my shoulders. Just. Storm had cut it pretty short. One of the newer girls offered to style it for me but I couldn't be bothered to make it look fashionable. I could still throw it up into a short ponytail.

Not quite ready to return to the others, I wandered the corridors until I ran into Jinx. She smiled at me. "Hi, we've been wondering where you got to."

"I walked on the beach for a while." I replied simply. "Have you seen Snake?" Surprising myself with the question, I concealed my shock from my features. "I need to talk to him."

"Oh, I think he's in his room. He usually sleeps from late afternoon to evening instead of at night." I didn't want to know how she knew that. "Listen, I want to thank you."

"What for?"

"Well, without you, Storm wouldn't have been able to get into that lab." She said to me, smiling gently. "So thanks."

"Don't thank me. Thank Commander." I shrugged simply. "He's the one who gave me genetically impressive senses." Chuckling slightly she nodded her head.

"Well, I'll see you around. How about we do some training tomorrow? I'd like to have a session or two with you." Jinx offered with a friendly smile. "You know, get to know each other a little more?"

"Sure. That would be great. I needed a change of partner, Snake and Storm know all of my tricks." I said humorously then slid past her, heading to the male barracks. I swiped my card to let me through the door then searched for Snake Eyes. A few guys whistled at me but I ignored them, pretending to look serious as if there was something important to do.

I found Snake's room after asking one of the nicer guys, one I had wrestled in the ring with before. He told me the way then smirked. "Why? You need a little 'chat'?" I shrugged.

"It's nothing serious, I just have a few questions about something that happened on the mission." He continued to give me a slightly worrying look.

"Uh huh, sure. Well, make sure you leave him in one piece." I caught onto his meaning.

"What? No! Dude you have it so wrong!" I blanched then punched him in the chest. "Go wash your mouth out with some soap!"

"Sure, sure." He waved a hand but continued to wear that knowing look. Jeez, maybe I should wait until tomorrow. My feet disagreed. They forced me to follow Frenchie's directions until I stood outside his room. Drawing in a slow breath I knocked on the door. "Snake?" No answer. Guess he was either out or asleep. Too bad, guess I'll just have to leave. Then I heard something bang from inside. "Snake?" I knocked again. "Are you okay? Snake Eyes!" Growling and muttering under my breath I opened the door and walked in. When my eyes adjusted to the dark I saw him lying on his bed, twisting and turning as if he were having a nightmare.

His lamp lay on the floor, obviously he had knocked it over. I shut the door behind me then hurried over to Snake's side, pinning down his shoulders then shook him awake. "Hey! Wake up!" Snake shook his head then looked up at me. "Aren't you uncomfortable sleeping in your suit?" I asked him out of genuine curiosity.

Before I could blink Snake had his arms around me, tightly holding me to him as I heard him sigh softly with relief. "Oh. Okay. Guess not." I said stupidly, blinking in surprise as Snake then drew back. "Are you okay?" He shrugged. That's not a good sign, normally he's fine. What should I do now? "Well, I…um…need to talk to you. Yes." I babbled uselessly, tucking my hair behind my ear with my little finger. "Er…what did I need to talk about again?" I asked him and he shrugged, sitting up and placing his feet on the ground, rubbing his neck as he waited for me.

"Oh! Right. Storm said I needed to talk to you about…what happened." His head jerked up to me and I jumped slightly at the sudden movement. Why did I feel so nervous? It was only Snake Eyes, for crying out loud. Though the butterflies seriously didn't help. "I mean about the fort. No, I mean…uh…oh crap." Snake chuckled silently at me then reached out, taking my hand then pulled me to sit next to him on the bed. He sighed at me to calm down and take a breath. I did so, letting it out then felt a little calmer.

"About the clone." Now he understood. His shoulders rose and then fell in a deep sigh before he reached forwards, picked up his lamp then switched it on, filling the room with light. He began to sign. What did I want to know?

"Well, I don't really know. I just want to make sure you're okay." I answered. "I know how it feels, to think you've killed one of your teammates but…hey, wait a second. You killed me!" I stared at him. "How did you know I wasn't me? I mean, how did you know the clone was me? No, wait, uh…you know what I mean." He chuckled again then signed.

"Because she tucked her hair wrong?" I frowned in confusion. Snake signed some more. He said that she had used her all her fingers to tuck her hair behind her ear whereas I always used only my little finger. Blinking I realised this was true. It was a habit I started only after being experimented on, which would mean that the new habit didn't compute with the cloned me. "Oh. I really do that?" He nodded his head. "Well, thanks for noticing, I guess." He sighed some more and I smiled. "Yes I realise it was also kinda obvious when she started attacking you. She didn't hurt you did she?" He shook his head. "Good. By the way, thanks for saving me, I didn't know whether the cloned you was actually going to kill me or not."

Snake asked me why he had hesitated. I wasn't too sure myself. I mean, I knew why I hesitated but the clone had been altered to be like a Viper, it shouldn't have any feelings. Should it?

"I don't know. Maybe he was confused as to why I hesitated." Snake looked at me with surprise then signed some more. "Yes I know, I didn't hesitate with the others. It just felt…wrong, I guess, shooting you. I just couldn't do it." I looked at Snake, swallowing the nerves. "You mean too much to me." Snake looked at me for a long time before slowly reaching an arm around me and drawing me closer, letting me rest my head on his shoulder. After a while I sighed.

"So is that why you have nightmares? Because you feel guilty about killing me? If it will make you feel better, I don't mind stabbing you or something to make it square." He laughed then signed around me, making me have to tip my head back to be able to see both hands. "Because I died? Snake…" I turned to face him, shifting on the bed. "You brought me back. I'm fine. You don't need to worry." He nodded his head and looked away. I could tell he was hiding something, there was a hesitation in him, a pause which he was now trying to bury away without me noticing.

"Snake. There's something else." I stated sternly, touching his face to make him face me. "You won't feel any better if you keep it hidden. You can tell me anything Snake, I promise." Still he hesitated, reluctant to let it go. "Please? I can't bear the thought of you in pain." Slowly he nodded his head he began to sign.

"She spoke to you." I nodded, trying to keep up with all the signs and their meanings. I was still learning. "She said that she knew my…parrot? No, head? No, mind?" He nodded. "And my memories. My…feelings? Feelings." I frowned slightly in concentration so Snake slowed down for me. "She said that I thought you were a waste of space and hated you being so overprotective. She said that? Damn, she was a bitch! You sure you didn't kill her? Because I'm more than happy to finish the job." Snake Eyes assured me that she was gone. Too bad, I'd have given her a serious butt kicking.

Turning back to Snake he continued. "She said that I didn't care about you. That I didn't…" I paused, unsure if the word I though he had said was right. He signed it again. "Love? She said that I didn't love you?" He paused before finishing. Now I just stared at him. Utter shock swallowed me before I quietly fitted the pieces together in a lowered tone.

"She told you I didn't love you the way you loved me." Probably ashamed, or embarrassed, Snake turned his head away from me, unable to meet my eye. "Snake?" He stood up and went towards the door. Oh no you don't, you are not walking away from this. We're not finished!

From my belt I grabbed a shuriken and flicked it at him, glaring slightly as it hit his door just above the handle, missing his hand by less than an inch. Getting up I walked over to him, sighing softly as he still refused to look at me. "Snake Eyes. Look at me." I commanded in a gentle tone, reaching out to touch his arm. Slowly he turned, looking at his feet before lifting his head to meet my eyes.

His entire character seemed sad. His shoulders were slumped and he struggled to keep looking at me, his body half turned to leave. I lifted a hand to his face, gently rubbing it against his helmet. A hand rose up and covered mine, gripping it securely as he turned his face towards my palm.

Before I could change my mind I placed my other hand on his neck then rose up onto my toes, closing my eyes as I placed my lips against his helmet where his mouth should have been. I felt him stiffen but I didn't pull away.

It felt strange. His helmet was cool against my warm lips and even stranger because, well, I'd never kissed a helmet before. Normally a male pair of lips were involved. Though funnily enough, I didn't care. My lips moved against his hidden face as if he was returning my kiss, like I desperately wanted him to.

All tension fled from him as his arm snaked around my back and pulled me quickly closer, the other letting go of my hair to push through my hair, gently pulling back my head. I looked up into the visor then lifted both hands, pausing before taking off his helmet pieces. I looked down to his bedside table and gently put them down before facing face Snake Eyes.

Before my body had even properly turned his lips were on mine as his hands cradled my neck, a quiet squeak coming from my throat before I answered his caress. He kissed me with a burning passion that I never knew was in him. He claimed my lips and refused to let them go as he slowly let his hands drop from my neck to my waist, lifting me up to close the height difference.

This unlocked all the butterflies from the cage, letting them fly away from me as I remained locked in Snake's arms, his damn sexy mouth kissing mine until I was in a daze. Hell, I should have done this months ago. Why was I such an idiot? Then I remembered Jinx.

I moaned slightly, trying to get his attention. Snake pulled back and looked at me but did not let go. Gasping for breath it took a moment for me to recover the breath Snake had stolen from me and from the adrenaline that had fired up in my body. "What about Jinx?"

He arched an eyebrow at me in confusion. "Aren't you together?" Snake Eyes blinked in surprise then smiled broadly, instantly entrancing me as he laughed. "What? You two were as close as honey and bees!" He laughed harder. "Hey, this is not funny. I'm trying to be serious here!" But I was giggling a little too, unable to maintain a serious face. When Snake had managed to stop laughing he leaned forwards and gave my lips a slow, deliberately teasing taste of him. "You are not fair."

Snake sighed then all at once dropped me on the bed, placing one knee down beside me as he looked down at me. My heart hammered faster in my chest. Snake signed to me and I took a moment to translate. "You were never together? Really? But…come on. You have to admit that there was something going on there." He continued to explain. "You're close. Yeah I get that but…Snake I think she has feelings for you." The poor guy actually looked surprised. You mean he didn't know? "Have you been living under a rock or something?" Another brilliant smile lit his face before he waved his hands at me again.

"Oh how romantic." I drawled but smiled all the same. He hadn't noticed her because all he could ever look at was me. I loved this guy. My smile dropped from my face as I thought for a moment. Snake tilted his head to the side in question. "Snake. You need to talk to Jinx. It's not fair on her for you to pay her all the attention you have been paying her then just abandon her." He nodded his head, reaching down to push my hair out of my face then gently stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. "Why _were_ you spending so much time with her?" I questioned curiously. "Because you almost convinced _me _that _you _didn't care."

Snake Eyes answered my question with a sly smirk as he signed. Damn, he looks even sexier when smirking. This was not fair. "Well congratulations. You certainly succeeded." I answered, chuckling. "You seriously just wanted to make me feel jealous?" He nodded his head then blushed a little. Okay, this was totally the cutest thing I had ever seen. It should be made illegal to look that gorgeous. "Well then, I guess we're both morons."

In answer Snake Eyes kissed me again. It was getting late and I knew I had to go but I was reluctant to leave Snake's arms as he held me, my head on his shoulder as we curled up together on his bed. I knew he was watching me, I could feel his eyes on my face as I ran my thumb against his arm, which was curled around me. "I have to go. I've been here longer than I should have been." I murmured to him softly, keeping my eyes closed. He only drew me closer.

"Snake, people might get ideas." I sighed, opening my eyes. He smirked at me. "Hey! I have a reputation to uphold. Sweet, innocent and deadly." Reaching forwards Snake placed a chaste kiss on the tip of my nose. I instantly cuddled closer to him, groaning. "I've decided that I hate it when you do that." He chuckled.

It took a further five minutes to persuade Snake, as well as myself, to get up and leave. At the door I yanked the shuriken out from the wood then slipped it into my belt. Before I turned around Snake's arms wound around me. His kisses trailed from my neck to my shoulder and I whimpered slightly.

"Stop that or you'll convince me to stay!" His hands mover further around my stomach, saying he wouldn't complain if I did. "You'll get us both into trouble." I reprimanded then opened the door, slipping through but before I did, I turned and gave him one last smile. "I'll see you tomorrow." I promised and he nodded his head, a lightened shine in his eyes as he couldn't stop the small smile on his features.

I don't think either of us had nightmares that night.


	38. Chapter 38

**Guess what everyone? It's the last chapter.**

***Gasp!**

**Yes I know, sorry to keep it waiting but here it is. Thank you everyone for sticking through with me, I really appreciate it. Just one last thought to go, I own no material recognisable from the G.I Joe franchise, I obtain no profit through this and it is for entertainment purposes only.**

**Goodbye and thanks again!**

* * *

Carefully with an arm around Sabrina's waist and the other holding her hand I led her up the steps to the ranch house, her eyes widening further with every step. "You grew up here?"

"Yup." I grinned proudly, opening the door to show her inside. "And this is where you are going to live in peace and plenty with me." Leading her inside she stared around at the front room, tears rising to her eyes. "I was planning on bringing horses back to the ranch since I've always lived around them. There's a mare ready to foal which a good friend of mine is going to give me and I thought you might like to help me raise them."

"I would love to, Robyn, though I don't know anything about horses."

"It's alright, I'll teach you!" I smiled excitedly, practically jumping up and down in my place. "Come on, I'll show you to your room." I had left the wall stripped back so that she could decide who she wanted to decorate but there was a large bed, wardrobe, vanity table and a comfortable sofa by the window for her to read in and look out onto the ranch whenever she wanted. "Maybe tomorrow we'll go into town and buy some more things for you." I suggested, touching the wall. "I'm guessing you don't want dull white as your wall forever." Sabrina began to cry, flinging her arms around me.

"It's perfect. It's too perfect. I keep on thinking that I'm dreaming and I'm going wake up still tied down with needles prodding me all over. Thank you Robyn, thank you, thank you!" I patted her back gently then hugged her too, struggling to keep my tears at bay. When she pulled back she sniffed then smiled. "Can I see the mare and foal?" Excited all over again, I nodded my head and practically flew down the stairs.

"The foal isn't born yet but it should be any day now. Come on! If we run we might be in time for some supper with Ben and Feline."

"They won't mind, will they?" I laughed, grinning as I gripped her hand.

"It's a small neighbourhood, we all just turn up whenever we please and stay for food. You'll get used to it, everyone's friendly. Come on!" We ran over to the next ranch where I called out to Benjamin as he was working on repairing a stall. "Ben! Ben this is Sabrina!"

"Oh! So this is the famous Sabrina. Howdy." He smiled, touching his hat with a nod of his head. "Come to see Magic, have you?" I nodded my head enthusiastically as Sabrina shyly slipped behind me. "Aw now, don't be shy." Ben said as he stepped out of the stall and dusted off his hands. "I don't bite."

"Much." I whispered with a smile. "Magic is over here. Careful, she's a little nervous around strangers." I led he forwards and clucked my tongue, calling for the mare who instantly stuck her head over the stall, reaching out to me with a whicker of greeting. "Hey girl, miss me?" I peered around to her rounded belly then laughed. "You look like you've swallowed a barrel." She snorted at the insult, making Sabrina giggle as she reached up and stroked Magic's neck. "You're good with horses. I can tell already." I informed her quietly as not to startle Magic. "She's not normally this relaxed."

"Perhaps it's because your friend is as sweet and cool as a cucumber." I smiled around to Feline as she approached, dropping her hay nets to open her arms and catch me as I leaped to hug her. "We've missed you pet. How long will you be staying for?"

"Another two weeks. This is Sabrina, she'll be living at the ranch with me so make sure you don't frighten her away." I warned them. "Now, tell me all that's happened?"

"Oh it was strange. After all this kafuffle with those terrorists and then the banks suddenly becoming worthless, we thought we were going to lose the ranch if the economy fell apart again. It was a very strange time indeed." Feline told me, waving a hand in the air. "But it seems to be sorted. I think they managed to revert the damage before it could become permanent."

"Yeah, they stopped printing money the moment the vaults burst." I informed her. "And they cut off all money transitions before reverting the accounts to how they had been just moments before the hyperinflation. Some people lost money but not as much as they would have."

"What is the world coming to? First the threat on our freedom and then they hyperinflation…whatever next? Aliens?" I seriously hoped not. I was too worn out to fight against an invasion from extra-terrestrials. Yawning slightly with a sleepy smile Feline cooed. "Oh you poor dear, you look exhausted. Come inside and have some pie." Instantly I perked up, looking over to Sabrina.

"Told you. Just turn up and you get fed." We followed Feline inside, the smell of steak pie filling my mouth and nose and I inhaled it gloriously. "Ah…I've missed home." I murmured, pulling up a chair.

"So Sabrina, Robyn tells us you were on the streets together. You must have been so brave to keep your head above water." Feline said as she pulled the pie out of the oven. "What do you plan to do now that you're here?"

"I was thinking about going into teaching." Sabrina admitted. "As an assistant. I don't have any qualifications but I thought if I started getting experience, I could then start working towards taking exams." She pushed the jug of homemade lemonade out of the way so that Feline could put down the pie. "And look after the horses whilst Robyn is away, of course. She's going to teach me how."

"We'll teach you much more than that, sweetie, we'll get you riding! Can't live out here without knowing how to ride, it's the best way to get around." Feline smiled at her. "Benjamin and Robyn can give you a few lessons."

"Would that really be alright?" Sabrina asked hopefully, smiling. "I've always wanted to learn how to ride."

"I like the lass already." Benjamin declared, nodding his head. "We'll make a rancher of you yet." Sabrina blushed as she smiled, looking to me as I gave her a secret thumbs up. After the pie and some apple crumble for desert, I linked my arm with Sabrina's and walked her home.

"So what do you think?"

"I think I will be very happy here." She answered, resting her head against my shoulder. "Very happy."

"Good. You deserve it." I informed her, smiling as I leaned my head against hers. "You don't have to worry about anything anymore. I'll protect you from everything."

"I know. Though, I'm still slightly concerned you have guns and weapons hidden around the house. Do you really expect someone to come kicking in the door?"

"You never know." I reasoned diplomatically as the house came into view. "Life is full of surprises." Speaking of which, I was about to receive one only the next day. Sabrina was browsing the stalls for new clothes whilst I waited outside, chewing on a piece of wheat as I tilted my head down so that my hat covered my eyes from the sun, keeping me in shade.

When I heard familiar footsteps approaching, along with his scent, my head shot up. Snake Eyes? He walked towards me, thumbs in his jeans pockets, wearing a damn fine shirt and jacket that made him look so tantalisingly irresistible. He wasn't wearing a mask either. My mouth dropped open as he smirked then came to stand before me.

"What are you doing here?" He signed to me. "You came just to see me? I'll be back in two weeks." Smiling softly I stepped closer to him. "Just can't keep you away, can I?" He shook his head then lifted my hat off my head, dropping it onto his own. Okay, this is unacceptable. He looked every inch the cowboy. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Celine shake Annie-Marie and Feline's shoulders, pointing over to Snake Eyes as he continued to look at me. "I think you're about to get introduced to the entire town. I told them your name was Samuel since I couldn't really tell them your name was Snake Eyes. Was that okay?" He nodded his head then leaned forwards.

His lips brushed against mine and I exhaled softly, my eyes sliding shut as one of his hands rested against my hip and mine curled around his neck as he deepened the kiss. I smirked as I heard Celine gasping then clapping her hands. "We have an audience." I whispered to him, making him chuckle as he pulled away, looking to my left hand which remained on his neck.

He lifted it from him then brushed his lips against my fingers like a true born gentleman. My heart skipped a beat as I blushed. "Okay, you're just showing off now." He grinned then nodded his head. "Did you talk to Jinx?" His smile lessened a little, becoming serious as he nodded his head again. "Is she…okay?" He began to sign a few things. "She was a little upset? Yeah I can see why, but she's okay now? No hard feelings? Oh hell! She's not going to kill me in my sleep is she?"

Snake chuckled then shook his head as he continued. "I know you'd protect me, Snake." I murmured, stepping closer to him as I wound my arms around him and leaned into his muscular chest.

"Alright, you've hogged him long enough. Introductions, immediately!" Celine called as she strode over with Annie and Feline trotting close behind. I giggled then glanced up to Snake Eyes.

"Sam, these are my aunts. Celine, Feline and Annie-Marie." Snake looked up then touched a hand to his chest, nodding his head in greeting. Show off. Celine instantly melted as Annie fluttered a hand in front of her face.

"He's such a chivalrous gentleman! Just like you said." She squealed then placed her hands on her hips, all three of them narrowing their eyes. "Now you listen here, cowboy, you better treat that girl with all the love and respect you have, otherwise you have us and our husbands to deal with and believe me, we all know how to use a shotgun." Snake nodded his head then signed to them. They looked to me for translation.

"He said he'd take good care of me." I relayed then looked up as Sabrina who blinked in surprise to see Snake's arm about my waist. "Sabrina! This is Sam, the guy I was telling you about on our flight over." I said to her with a meaningful look. Sabrina blinked then caught on.

"Oh! I didn't know he was coming here. Hello Sam." She smiled then held out her hand, shaking Snake's who smiled at her warmly. "Will you be coming back to the ranch with us?" He looked down to me for an answer.

"If you'd like." He nodded his head and I smiled up at him. When heavy feet hammered against the ground, my face fell and I looked around, my entire body becoming alert like a hound that smelled the rabbit. Snake tensed slightly, touching my shoulder. "I think you're about to get confronted." I warned him then stepped around, facing Toby Daniels as he strode over, glaring at Snake who instantly became defensive, trying to pull me out of the way but I held firm.

"Get your hands off her!" Toby snarled at Snake who only stepped closer to me, narrowing his eyes. "She's not for the likes of strangers like you!"

"Toby, don't be stupid." Celine warned him nervously, glancing to me then back to the man who had become incredibly territorial at the new threat, which was Snake Eyes. "You don't want to get into a fight with this one."

"Why not?" He demanded, cracking his muscles. "He's touching my girl." Snake tried to shoot forwards but I whirled around and pressed my hands against his chest, forcing him to keep still.

"Don't, I'll handle it." I told him softly, brushing my fingers against his face to calm him down. Everyone began to back away, watching with concern as Toby began to pace before me, rolling up his sleeves to expose the extensive muscle and various scars from other fights.

"Stay out of this Robyn, let us men fight it out."

"I won't let you. All you ever do is fight for the sake of fighting, even when you were a kid." I placed a hand on my hip and narrowed my eyes, hearing Celine whisper to one of the younger lads.

"Go get the sheriff." His feet pounded away, throbbing in my ears as I turned my attention back to Toby.

"I'm warning you. Get out of my way." I refused to move. Toby growled then strode forwards, reaching out to grab me and forcibly move me aside but I grabbed his wrist and turned it over, locking his arm so that he cried out and fell to his knees. "Let go!"

"No." I snorted. "Not until you promise to leave us well alone. I'm not your girl and I never will be." He looked up with dark eyes.

"We'll see about it." Why are men so damn possessive? Oh well. As Toby reached out to try and swipe my legs out from beneath me I let go of his arm and vaulted over him, waiting until he had risen to his feet and turned before kicking him in the gut with a single, doubling over kick. Toby grunted, clutching his stomach before looking up and whistling.

Several other men appeared, leaping out of a truck and gripped their wrenches and bats, slapping them against their palms in an attempt to look menacing. Now Snake pushed me behind him, facing them down without even batting an eyelid. I smirked. This was going to be fun.

Toby yelled and tried to tackle Snake around the middle but he spun out of the way, leg hitting him so hard in the face that he was flung onto his back. I ducked under a wrench, keeping my arms in a boxing stance before hitting the guy in the kidneys three times in quick blows, tucking and spinning out of the way to then sweep out my leg and knock another guy flying.

Snake was now surrounded so I slid along the ground between their legs then rose up, the circle pushing back as they surrounded us. "Get him!" Toby yelled and led the charge. Snake and I fought back to back, our ninja skills coming into practice as our hands, bodies and feet blurred. Pretty soon we'd taken down the less experienced and clumsy guys who thought they could take us on.

Snake and I turned at the same time, gripping each other's hand before kicking out in a scissor kick, knocking out the last two guys before Snake turned me to face him, lifting me up then spun me around so that I could knock Toby out with a final blow. As I landed Snake lifted my hand elegantly twirling me on the spot before bending down and hoisting me up into his arms, smirking.

"Oh! It's so romantic!" Feline whispered, fluttering a hand before her flustered face. My hands curled around Snake's neck as he carried me from the groaning men still beaten down on the ground. His eyes never left mine.

Completely forgetting that everyone else was watching us I closed my eyes and leaned forwards, meeting his mouth in a gentle caress before smiling softly and pulling back, my eyes still closed as I savoured the contact before opening them.

"I love you." I murmured to him and his smile lifted a little further, gazing at me as his eyes replied with all I needed to know. With Snake carrying me back to the others I rested my head against his shoulder, perfectly at ease with everything in my life. I had my man, I had my sister, my home and soon, I'd have an entire herd of horses roaming my lands again, kicking up their hooves and tossing their manes into the wind with their cries echoing across the mountains.

Snake looked to me, placing a gentle kiss against the side of my face, lingering as everyone around us all whispered and gossiped about the fight, proclaiming it to be the best that had ever happened in the town. "Snake? You know I was thinking about not going back to the Joes after my enlistment ends." He said nothing but looked at me, waiting for me to finish. "Because I wanted to be here, home, where I could finally settle down and start a new life." I explained in a quiet voice so that no one would hear us. "But I've realised…I wouldn't be happy, not without you there."

His fingers began to play with my hair, running the locks through with gentle caress. "So I'll go wherever you go. I'll stay here, go back to the base, leave for Japan, anything, so long as you want me there." He mouthed a single word to me.

Always.


End file.
